7th Heaven s01e18 Episode Script

A lot of catchers are on the balls of their feet, practically on tiptoes.
But not me.
I can settle back into a nice deep crouch, stay there for days.
And you know why? That's right.
Cat-like reflexes and a cannon where my arm should be.
I'm pretty much a baseball cyborg.
Try to steal second off me, you better have your glove.
The ball's gonna be waiting for you.
I call the shots.
I am the field general, the gatekeeper, the guardian of the plate.
Ow! Ow! Cramp! Cramp! You know the commercial, "Reach out and touch someone"? With this baby, I can.
- What is it? - It's my class phone list.
Mrs Miller did the cover page and then we got to do our phone-number page.
With this, I can call practically anyone.
Yeah, right.
Like I'd trust the numbers on that list.
- What are you talking about? - What's our phone number? I had too many fives in there, didn't I? - There you go.
- Our phone number is a tricky devil.
Yeah, well, I'm sure a lot of your friends had tricky devil phone numbers and got them wrong on the list.
I bet you're wrong.
You don't know everything.
I know my phone number when I'm asked.
And still no one calls.
- And you have a degree? - Yeah.
I type, file, balance a chequebook.
- And play the piano? - Mm-hm.
- How about the organ? - A little rusty.
They didn't have one, you know.
I'm gonna give you my card.
You did see where I got some of my training? Wilder Correctional Facility.
Can you really type 70 words a minute? Yeah, on a temperamental Selectric.
- What? - I've had a few of these interviews.
Usually I get the door, not somebody's card.
Don't lose it.
I want you to meet some people at that address.
- Tomorrow, say 4.
30? - I'll be there.
OK, I'll see you tomorrow.
I'm sorry Eric's not here.
He got stuck at the job fair.
It's incredibly busy.
One of the city councilmen asked if he could stay longer.
I'll bet he almost jumped at the chance to stay out there a little longer.
This meeting has never been the highlight of his calendar.
He should be out in the community.
That's his gift.
- We can elect a treasurer without him.
- Eric has every confidence in you.
Well, at this point, we need somebody fast and cheap.
The annual report has to be presented on this Sunday, and our former treasurer, the beloved Bob, left us in quite a mess, an incomplete mess, when he took that job in New York.
So we need somebody who's good with numbers and who knows our needs.
And being able to budget, say, a family of seven on a minister's salary couldn't hurt.
Are you sure? If you would.
At least until we can elect a permanent replacement.
- I accept.
- All opposed? Congratulations, Madam Treasurer.
Now, our next item on the agenda is the security Are you going to play Little League this summer? Mom, there's nothing little about the league I play.
- Are you playing baseball? - I don't play baseball.
I live it.
- My wish is to die with my cleats on.
- Could be arranged.
In or out? I'm definitely in.
Before you hit the field, you need a tetanus shot.
- A small price to pay.
- I'll pick you up after school.
Since you're busy with church stuff, why doesn't Matt take me? No, no, no.
Mom should take you, in case something goes wrong.
Nothing's going to go wrong.
It really would help me out.
Why don't I take you over? - No, I'd rather go with Matt.
- Why? You're scared of needles.
It makes you act weird in the doctor's office.
I do not.
You hum and you bounce your knee up and down.
It gets me all nervous.
Take your brother.
I can't thank you enough for tutoring Jimmy.
You're right, you can't.
But you could start by getting out of my way.
It's just that Jimmy can't get the hang of science.
Of course, it's not totally his fault.
He's a passionate fountain, a poet, not a dried-up husk in a lab coat who gets As by worshipping the periodic table.
I got As in science, and that is why I am tutoring your fountain.
And if Jimmy's stuck in summer school, you'll have less time with him and more with me.
I appreciate that.
But Jimmy's quiet and sometimes he says OK but it's not.
Look deep into his eyes to make sure that he's getting it.
- Fine.
- But it's more than a look.
Really.
It's more like a contemplative study.
Be subtle.
If he figures out we can read the truth through his eyes, he might change to something new and it'll take months to figure it out.
Look deep into my eyes and read me.
- I'll shut up now.
- That would be good.
I hope you're a little more subtle with Jimmy.
What's the big deal? Just take my registration form, check "Yes" under tetanus shot and we never have to get out of the car.
What if you get hurt during the season or something? No, it's too risky.
You get freaked out at needles like Dad, only you hum better songs.
- Get ready for a medley.
We're going.
- Fine.
But we'll see how you feel around four o'clock.
You sure you have the time and energy? With Ruthie in school, I'm footloose and fancy free.
Great, great.
It's just the treasurer's job is pretty heavy.
I know.
But the last guy managed to juggle it with a full-time job that landed him an even bigger job.
It's gonna take some work, but I think I can get ahead of this and pull it off.
I'm sure.
They're trying to shove the security system on me.
No one's trying to shove anything on you.
They're still looking into costs.
They left without me again, didn't they? They're outside and they've never left without you.
I know.
I'm just practising for when they do.
Ah.
Ding Dongs? That's not my usual.
You have a usual? You've only been in school for a few weeks.
Trade Simon for his Ho Hos and trade for Lucy's Nutter Butters.
I could, but variety is the spice of life.
- Yes, it is.
- I'll give the Ding Dongs a whirl.
It couldn't hurt.
Daddy, do you wanna use my phone list while I'm gone? Simon says the numbers are wrong, but he doesn't know anything.
You can call almost everyone, even emergency guys.
Well, maybe you should hang onto it.
You're right.
I might need it.
Bye, honey.
Love you.
Say a little prayer for Jimmy, will you? Mary's tutoring him after school.
- I'll say a big one.
- We both thank you.
Oh, I've got somebody coming by later.
I want you and the vestry to meet him.
- What guy? - He's a guy I met at the job fair.
A guy who can type, file and play the organ.
You know, depending on the budget.
You don't mind that I'm filling in as treasurer? No, I'm thrilled.
Really.
Good.
I just didn't want my being thrilled to make you feel like you had to be thrilled if you weren't, you know, thrilled.
I'm thrilled.
- I talked to Mary.
Everything is set.
- Great.
There's no reason to be nervous.
It's Mary.
For me, Mary and nervous are always in the same sentence.
I live with the woman.
I have seen the many moods and faces of Mary Camden.
The cold one, the intimidating one, the scary and the angry one.
A lot of faces, and none friendly to a floundering science student.
They're all just a front Mary uses to cover up her insecurity.
So when she explains something, just smile so she knows you understood it.
Show your teeth.
You have nice teeth.
You don't show them enough.
Perfect.
That's your advice for dealing with your sister? Smile, basically look pretty? [SCHOOL BELL.]
[HYMN ON ORGAN.]
Not my best performance, but I'd like to play again in a couple of days.
- Are you kidding? That was great.
- It really was.
Thank you very much.
We'll be in touch.
- Nice meeting everyone.
- You too, Ron.
- Can the choir use him? - Absolutely.
And if he can drown out the altos every weekend, I'll write him a cheque myself.
- So? - So.
Did you read this résumé before you passed it out? Wilder Correctional Facility.
He didn't even have to put that.
He was just being honest.
Let's be practical.
You think that's what he was in Wilder for? Honesty? - The man's a convict.
- Ex-convict, Lou.
- What are you in for? - Field hockey physical.
Same, kind of.
Tetanus shot, baseball.
Field hockey? It's no baseball, but at least you swing a stick.
Yeah, well, I like it.
Sorry about your shot.
It's OK.
It's really the waiting I hate.
It's the waiting that really gets to you.
Thinking about the shot.
Imagining the shot.
Actually feeling the shot in your skin.
But not the shot itself.
Maybe I should have Mom come down here.
I'm OK.
Once it's, you know, over.
Who knows how long it could be? How important is Simon's tetanus shot? That girl over there looks like she's about to throw up any minute.
I hope she doesn't.
I hate that sound, don't you? Why does every waiting room smell? It smells like sweat, old cooties, and that stuff they wipe your arm with before they give you a shot.
Man, it's hot in here.
Of course, you could just check here and we'd be off to fresh air and cool breezes.
- No, no, we're not gonna do that.
- Or come back when it's less crowded.
They'd fix the thermostat and air it out in here.
- Like tomorrow? - Tomorrow's good for me.
- We'll come back tomorrow.
- Whatever you say.
I'm the puppet master.
An organist and an assistant for the price of one.
That's practical.
The vestry doesn't feel it's practical to test out Ron's rehabilitation with our budget and limited resources.
Ron's done his time.
He deserves a second chance.
I have a good feeling.
Not everyone has your barometer about people.
The vestry feels hiring someone with Ron's record to work around so much cash is like letting the fox in to guard the hen house.
Having seen their budget, I understand their concerns.
- Understand or share? - I'm the practical one on our team.
I need more than a feeling to go on.
I also need more than a ledger sheet.
Just give it time.
They'll reconsider their position.
All anyone is asking you is to do the same.
All right, fine.
They knew I wouldn't go for a security system.
They elected you treasurer to influence me.
Oh, really? I thought they elected me because the budget had to be done in a hurry and they knew I could do it.
They knew they could trust me to be fair, which is more than you knew.
So, are you a real fireman or do you just answer the phone? Oh, so this is the right number if I have an emergency? No, no, no, everything here is fine.
How about you? Did you have to put out any fires today? - Really? How many? - What are you doing? I'm really sorry about this.
- What are you doing? - Checking the numbers on my phone list.
These numbers are for emergencies only.
Simon says most of the numbers are probably wrong.
I don't wanna wait until there's an emergency to find out if he's right.
I don't think Simon meant the numbers on the front page.
- He wasn't specific.
- You stay off the phone.
Got it? Got it.
Well, that number was right.
The cranial nerves go from the brain to the periphery of the body.
There are 12 pairs of nerves with one of each pair on each side of the brain.
I guess that's pretty clear.
And don't forget about the 12 pairs because there's a really easy [WOMAN SINGS LOVE SONG IN FRENCH.]
[FIREWORKS EXPLODE.]
towering tops, a German and Fin viewed some hops.
What have I done? You'd be wired in every corner.
We'd put motion detectors and alarms on every window and door.
Great, great.
We were gonna reconsider each other's position.
Well, we will.
This is just a preliminary step.
Getting estimates is a preliminary step.
This looks like a decision.
You never intended to give Ron Kramer further thought.
Yes, and we have.
Our position is the same.
Do you even know what he served time for? I don't care.
The point is, he served it.
You don't sound as though you've rethought your position.
- It's still a security system.
- Eric, the church is wide open.
Well, that's the difference between us, Lou.
I think people should always have access to what's inside.
So how'd the tutoring go? What did you think of Jimmy? - He was OK.
- Ha.
- Ha what? - I know what you thought of him.
You thought if he had six more arms he could be a babe-I-octopus.
What? I didn't think that.
What kind of mind would? A clever mind who sees through your mask of disinterest and borderline repulsion.
You're in love with him, aren't you? - You have got to be kidding.
- It's not your fault.
He's magnetic.
No, no, no.
Listen, you were the one who asked me to tutor him, remember? I have no interest in Jimmy.
None.
Facing a firing squad, if saying one appealing thing about him would save me, I would use my last breath to ask for a blindfold.
Awfully passionate for someone who doesn't care.
I care that you've lost your mind.
Lost it or finally found it? You know what I mean.
We keep those locked at night.
Can I help you with something? Yeah, maybe.
I came by to pick up a hymnal.
I thought I'd learn the music, in case you needed me.
Great, but it doesn't look like we will.
We won't have the money in the budget to replace that position right now.
OK.
That's too bad.
- Maybe next time.
- Maybe.
You never told us what you were serving time for.
I stole bread to feed my family.
I wish I could say that, but I wanted a lifestyle my income couldn't support.
I didn't think it'd hurt if I used the bank I worked for to help me get it.
But I was wrong.
I was selfish and stupid.
Wrong.
- I understand.
- I'm sure you do.
Good night.
The doctor's office called.
They apologised for not getting you in.
- I guess the place was pretty busy.
- Packed.
They're open Saturday.
They'll take you if you get there early.
- We'll be there.
- Good.
See, the thing is, I took Simon to get his shot last year and we ducked out.
- Me, too.
- I figured.
Did he do his waiting-room smell stuff? Some of his best work.
He's good.
He's very good.
But he has to get this shot.
- And he'll get it.
I promise.
- Good enough.
Take your Walkman with you.
He can't get to you if you can't hear him.
- Good idea.
Thanks.
- We gotta band together.
How many other Marys have you been flashing your pearly whites at? Your sister and me? Are you crazy? Crazy like a fox, my friend.
I saw how comfortable you two were.
You came up with this tutoring thing, not me.
- And you jumped at the chance.
- No, I didn't.
You made me.
But admit it, you didn't mind it.
Of course I mind.
I also mind failing science.
[CLICK.]
- Is there someone else on the line? - No.
Why are you listening to my conversation? I'm not listening.
I'm just waiting to use the phone.
It's your turn, Jimmy.
I don't want a turn.
Have the phone.
This conversation is over.
Yes! Why are you waiting to use the phone? I need to call the poison people.
Hoowie drank the water out of Happy's dish.
Ruthie, you cannot use emergency numbers if your imaginary friend drank out of your dog's dish.
You can only use them if real people have real emergencies.
OK.
Thirsty, girl? Your water dish was practically empty.
OK.
We're going back to the doctor's in the morning.
- I'm not kidding.
- I never had a problem.
You did.
Jamming a long, sharp piece of metal into my arm gives me a problem.
A long, sharp piece of metal? Jammed into my arm? I'm a dead man.
Oh! Maybe we do need a security system.
Annie forgot to bring this home.
Eric, if you have a minute, we need to talk.
Shoot.
I spoke to your friend Ron Kramer.
Embezzlement.
Come on, Eric, give me a break.
Well, he stole some money.
He screwed up, big time, once.
I'm not saying what he did was right.
But he didn't kill or maim anybody.
A lot of guys who do are back on the street in less time than Ron served.
You have a thing or two to learn about a sales pitch.
Ron Kramer has a lot of knowledge and expertise and it's all going to waste.
We'd be lucky to get what he has to offer.
- He's flawed.
He's not dangerous.
- No, no.
He's just untrustworthy.
I don't think he's the same man who made those choices a few years ago.
I can't go with a security system over a human being.
I know, and that's what makes you a wonderful, compassionate minister and a lousy businessman.
Thanks, I think.
See, I just thought that you were supposed to represent your parishioners and their values.
Oh.
No.
My job is to represent the Church and its values to the best of my ability.
Now, most of the time I do that with the support of the parishioners.
Sometimes I do it in spite of them.
But that's my job as minister of this church.
And you are, for now.
I'm sorry? We love this church as much as you do.
If we think your judgment is jeopardising its financial health, we will not hesitate to petition for your removal.
Well Follow your heart, Lou.
It's the only practical thing to do.
He wants me removed because I wanna give a human being a second chance.
He's scared, Eric, and cautious.
What do you expect? Well, I thought, I hoped, that you were on my side.
This is about understanding each other and doing what's best for the church, given the limited monies available.
Having an organist is not a necessity right now.
- Neither is a security system.
- I know that.
What's necessary is our commitment to our fellow man.
I don't know how Marv and Lou don't see that.
They just see it differently.
They wanna keep the church safe and the doors open for their fellow men to walk through on Sunday.
Doing one doesn't mean we can't do the other.
- But it makes it riskier.
- Faith without risk is easy.
And risk without faith, your kind of faith, is scary.
- I love you.
- You're OK.
You've been saying some wise things that I've had a hard time hearing maybe because I've been so busy saying some dumb ones.
The vestry is lucky to have you as treasurer.
I'm lucky you're still talking to me.
- Apology accepted.
- I've been so caught up in this thing.
I'm being everything I find frustrating in Lou, narrow-minded, short-tempered.
And impassioned, which is one of the reasons I married you.
Your smile's another reason, and I miss seeing it.
Making up's another reason, but I have a report to finish.
Any chance that I could take a look at that report and your recommendations? Sure.
Tomorrow, when I present it to the board.
Hey.
I really love you, too.
- Can I give you a lift? - Absolutely.
Thanks.
- Are you gonna tell the kids goodbye? - We're out of here.
- MATT: See you later.
- They're doing fine without us.
The one time you want Simon out of his room and he won't come.
It's a wooden door.
I can hear through it.
Dad wants me to take you to get your tetanus shot and I'm going to.
- It's not gonna be that bad.
- Right.
At what point after the long, sharp piece of metal pierces my flesh does "that bad" start? I'm not going.
I'll get a screwdriver.
We can take the doorknob off.
Thanks.
Look, why are you making such a big deal out of this? - What if the needle goes right through? - It won't.
- How do you know? - It's not long enough.
Really? It was plenty long enough when you didn't wanna go.
- What are we doing? - Trying to get Simon out of his room.
He barricaded himself in there and we can't get him out.
[PHONE BEEPS.]
Glenoak 91 1.
State the nature of your emergency.
- Is this the police department? - Yes, it is.
What is your emergency? I don't know.
Is being barricaded in your room an emergency? MATT: We all have to face our fears sometime.
Why? Maybe we should just stay afraid and avoid our fears out of respect.
Simon! - What's going on? - You're talking to me now? Not really.
It's more like a fact-finding mission.
[SIREN WAILS.]
Wait.
Let me get this straight.
You want Simon out of his room? SIMON: Every word.
I can hear every word.
Just wait until I get hurt and then give me the shot.
MATT: It doesn't work that way.
- [HAPPY WHINES.]
- [KNOCKING.]
This is the Glenoak Police Department.
Open up.
- Are you all right? - So far.
I was just on my way out to get a tetanus shot.
Well, that's another number, right? I'll meet you in the car.
- I can't believe you really came.
- Ruthie.
You know what happens when you call 911 and it's not an emergency? It means someone else may really be hurt or in danger and we're not there for them because we're here.
- I'm sorry.
I'll never call you again.
- I hope you never have to.
Thanks, Officers.
Thanks a lot.
Sorry for the inconvenience.
- Let's have it.
- What are you talking about? - The phone list.
Cough it up.
- I promise I won't use it again.
- It makes me feel powerful.
- Maybe so.
The power went right to your head and your dialling finger.
They're not that far from each other.
- Hey, guys.
How are you? - OK.
- Fine.
- Here we go.
I only need to get one shot.
I can handle two.
I signed up for one.
- It's for your brother.
- You're way overdue.
Really? Seems like just yesterday.
Don't worry.
It'll be over like that.
- Just get it over with.
- It is.
I'll see you guys later.
Tell your parents I said hello.
OK.
Come on, you big baby.
What's that? A note from Jimmy cancelling our session.
Put your paranoid fantasies on hold.
He couldn't even give it to me.
Mom found it taped to the door.
You know that freak-out interrogation I had with you? I had one with Jimmy, too.
You have a lot to learn about trust.
I know.
I should have trusted Jimmy.
You still don't get it.
You should have trusted me.
And you should have trusted your own judgement.
Would Jimmy ever cheat on you? Would I ever do anything to hurt you? So why didn't you trust that? I don't know.
I guess I just let my imagination get away from me.
You did a lot more.
You hurt Jimmy's chances of passing science.
You turned this into a girls fighting over a guy thing.
Even worse, you turned it into a sisters fighting over a guy thing.
It's so bush league, Luce.
I know.
I'm sorry.
Yeah, you should be.
Lucy, Mr Moon is here.
He'd like a word with you in the living room.
- Hey.
- Hey.
Because I was afraid of losing you, and because I'm afraid of your sister, I cancelled my tutoring session.
But more afraid of my mother's reaction to an F in science, I have returned.
A few courteous minutes early.
While you are a passionate, whimsical creature, you also need to appreciate my need for a passing science grade.
You should know me well enough by now to know I'm not a free-love kind of guy.
You're right.
I'll go tell Mary you're here.
OK.
Thank you.
What did they do to this door? - I don't know.
I was on the phone.
- Yes, I heard.
And what did I tell you? Never use a Phillips when a flat head'll do.
Thank you.
Now, about the phone.
- Stay off it.
- That's right.
And tell me why.
The policeman told me if I call when it's not an emergency, they might not be able to help somebody else who's in big trouble.
Right, and you're not allowed to use the phone without asking an adult first, understand? Can I have my phone list back? You can have it when you have permission to call someone.
That's a good idea.
I can't handle that phone list.
But I still really want it.
I know.
We'll get this monkey off your back one day at a time.
OK.
Who ratted on me? Your brothers and sisters, police, three neighbours and the mailman.
That's what I figured.
You know, if Mom had a real job, we could eat like kings every night.
She does.
She takes care of all of us and this house seven days a week, 24 hours a day.
Just because she gets into your stuff at church doesn't mean we can't use a little time off from her here.
So, you gonna hire that ex-con? - How do you know about Ron? - There are no secrets in this house.
You hired him, didn't you? - Think he'll show up? - I don't know.
Sometimes all you can do is trust people.
Like I trust, for example, that you and Simon actually got tetanus shots today.
You don't have to trust me.
I got proof.
This has been a week filled with choices.
The church's annual budget underscores, I think, exactly how costly those choices can be.
We've also talked this week about the need for sound business versus the need for compassion.
Ironically, it is the church's budget that gives us our first and best place to talk about the business of compassion.
The budget is a series of credits and debits, projections and returns, but it's more than that, it's a moral document.
We don't see it this way because we tend to put money on one side, values on the other and assume they never meet.
But they do, in the budget.
How we invest our money is a direct reflection of the choices we make day in and day out.
If you wanna know our values, our hopes, look to the budget.
It'd be easier if we were dealing with money.
We've all lost money.
It is our hope and faith that we fear losing most, because they are so hard to come by and nearly impossible to replace.
But we lower our risk by investing in each other, our community and our faith.
The budget, this budget, is where we decide what kind of people we want to be.
This annual report is respectfully submitted by Annie Camden, treasurer pro tem.
I think you know what my recommendation is.
[CHURCH BELL RINGS.]
[CHOIR SINGS HYMN.]
So, where is this guy you want us all to invest in? He'll be here, Lou.
Just show a little faith.
Sorry.
Sorry.
I had to take three buses this morning.
See you.
We'll give this some time, see how it plays out.
Sounds fair.
But it's not over.
Well, you know where to find me.