American Gothic (1995) s01e14 Episode Script

To Hell and Back

I need that phone.
It'll be here.
I'm on duty.
I need to call in.
As soon as they bring the phone.
What do you want me to do, go out there and check to see what the holdup is? If it's not too much trouble.
I could've walked to work by now.
Where do you work? Boston Central, critical care unit.
What's so funny? What are you, a speed walker? Meaning what? Meaning that you're 80 miles from Boston, friend.
What are you talking about? What is going on here? I'll tell you what's going on here.
We have a situation that needs to be straightened out.
Nurse.
What's the ETA on the telephone? The doctor needs to check in.
Right away.
Are you drunk now? I need to call my wife.
Is that a problem? It's Dr.
Crower.
Is Dr.
Freeman still on rounds? Yes.
Yeah, I need him to cover for me, I'm at What's the matter? What's the matter? What's the matter? What's the matter? Exit 5 on the Mass.
Pike.
No.
You're not drinking now? No, I'm not drinking.
I'm okay.
I can drive.
What is this? These were in the car.
Recognize 'em? Are you okay? The son of a bitch killed his wife and kid! Okay, let's start the bidding at, let's say $100 for this fine pair of canines.
Remember, now, every penny goes to the hospital's general fund.
I'll guarantee that myself.
Anybody? $100.
All right, thank you, ma'am.
We have $100.
Do I hear $150 for the pair? Anyone at all? What about it, Miss Emory? Don't be shy.
All right, we have $150.
Do I hear $200? Matt, where are you? Stockbridge.
Just past Exit 5 on the Mass.
Pike.
$150 going once, $150 going twice.
Sold to Miss Gail Emory for $150.
What a bargain.
Come on up here, Miss Emory.
Thank you very much.
Fine bit of auctioneering, Buck.
You missed your calling.
Well, thank you, Dr.
Pike.
I don't know who's the bigger fool Miss Emory, or whoever bought those goofy little knickknacks in the first place.
My great-granddaddy brought them back from England on his honeymoon.
They've always meant a great deal to the family.
Then your generosity is doubly appreciated, Doctor.
Thank you.
He's quite an asset to the community.
Oh, that he is.
He's one big asset.
Glad you think so.
His contract is on the hospital directors' agenda tomorrow.
I don't care how American this is, I still can't tolerate apple pie.
Oh, well.
De gustibus.
De gustibus? What the hell does that mean? To each his own.
To each his own.
What is this? Looks like that's old Chester's motto as well, Doreen.
Not for me.
Does get old, don't it? Doreen's husband's got the same social disease you have, Harvard.
Excuse me, had.
Guess I'd better give him the old "Don't drink and drive" lecture, ma'am.
Unless you'd like to.
Didn't think so.
Ah, you lightweight! Come on, buy me a drink.
Let's go.
Bartender! I'm sorry.
About what? Lucas? It's all right.
No, not him.
My husband.
Got a handle on things, Sheriff? You know what I see? A lifetime of regrets.
Wondering what could have been.
You have no idea.
Are you ready for a drink, Sheriff? Fine.
Well, I'd better go pour Chester into the back seat of the car before he starts a fight.
When they went to the cabin and the deer head started talking I thought Boone was gonna wet his pants.
Rose, quit it.
What about when the guy's head went rolling? You were screaming like a girl.
Wasn't she, Caleb? I guess.
It wasn't that scary, though.
Go on.
Movies aren't scary.
Then what is? I'll tell you what's really scary.
Him.
Who's that? It's Mr.
Emmett.
How come I never seen him before? Because you're a country boy.
Besides, he only comes out at night.
What's in the sack? What do you think? Huh? Get down! He saw us.
What, you gonna pee in your pants again? So what if he did see us? He's just an old guy.
And you're not afraid of him? Well, why should I be? I'll go over there and say, "Hey, Mr.
Emmett, how does your garden grow?" Let's see you.
All right then.
Watch me.
Omar! Omar! Where do you want her, Dr.
Crower? Put her in the trauma room.
Start bilateral IVs.
Type and cross-match four units, packed cells.
Hang in there, Doreen.
I want two lines running with fingers wide open.
You got it.
Which flower doesn't belong in the group? Caleb? Yes, ma'am? Angel's trumpet, lily of the valley, snakeroot.
Which doesn't belong? Snakeroot.
That's right.
Know why? It's poisonous? It's the only one that isn't poisonous.
It sounds poisonous.
Well, you can't always go by that.
You know, the ones with the pretty names, they can kill you.
Miss Holt tells me you've been telling wild stories about your neighbor.
He howls at the moon and all that.
Well, it's true.
Caleb, gossip is a form of poison.
I ain't gossiping.
I think he's got dead bodies over there and he's buried them in his pumpkin patch.
You do? Yes, ma'am.
How's she doing? She's comatose.
Her pupils don't even react.
I'm gonna watch her for the next hour.
You go on home.
I'm all right.
Oh, no, I'm fine, man.
Go home.
Okay.
She's all yours.
Doreen.
Doreen.
I don't know if you can hear me, but here's the deal.
I'm not gonna lie to you, your chances of surviving are slim.
I'm gonna stick it out with you because because I have nothing else to do and no one else to do it with.
And because the worst thing that can ever happen to somebody even that sorry husband of yours is for you to leave without saying goodbye.
"I love you.
" "Don't forget your raincoat.
" Something.
Anything.
Without that, it's just God's sick little joke.
It's open.
What's up, Doc? Where the hell have you been? We patched him up.
He just bolted right out of here again.
Didn't even ask about your wife.
How's she doing, Doctor? Well, she's not well.
She's not well at all, actually.
We picked him up wandering around at 4:00 a.
m.
He spent the rest of the night in the drunk tank, crying like a baby.
But you know how drunks are, Doc.
Yeah.
Say, speaking of which What do you think, .
10,.
30? Funny how a man's future can boil down into these four little ounces.
Chester's already got two previous DUls.
He flunks this one and he's going away to jail for a spell.
Of course if Doreen dies, that's a whole 'nother thing.
Hey, Doreen's not gonna die.
Shut up.
Doc.
Sheriff, tell him Shut up.
This must be deja-vu city for you, Harvard.
You look a little stressed.
Why don't you go home? Why don't you shut up, too? Yes.
Dr.
Crower, Mrs.
Langston is code blue.
We need you down here right away.
I'll say one thing for the Yankees, they can move.
That's about Doreen, isn't it? What happened? Any pulse or pressure? Nothing.
Complete flatline.
She just went.
Give me the paddles.
Isn't it? Sheriff's department.
Ben? Go down the street and see if Judge Lansing's in.
We'll need an arrest warrant.
Hold on just a second.
You son of a bitch! You told me to drive her home.
You said that she wasn't feeling well.
Now, why would I say something like that to a drunk? You told me to "take the wheel, Chester.
" You said, "You're the man.
" That's what you said.
Lucas.
Yeah.
What's it for? Vehicular homicide.
Little, bitty pretty one.
You're my little, bitty pretty one.
Little, bitty pretty one.
Ready, Dr.
Crower.
Dr.
Crower! Clear.
Clear.
Everybody, clear! Clear.
Dr.
Henry.
Dr.
William Henry.
Please call extension 662.
Say, Portis, you'd better give the Murphys a holler.
What for? One of their boys Donny Earl, I believe, he had an accident.
They're waiting for you.
Nobody called me.
Well, it just happened.
Crower.
Hi, Portis.
I hate to do this to you.
What? A tractor fell on a kid out in Poole.
EMS is there, but they're afraid to move him.
I better go supervise.
Can you cover for me? Yeah, okay.
Where're you going, Daddy? Where're you going, Daddy? What are you looking for? My stethoscope.
What difference does it make? Well, I just thought that maybe I could help you find it, whatever it is.
No, I'm sorry.
I'm a little tired.
Are you sick? Me? No, I'm healthy as a horse.
It's Caleb.
Oh, where is he? No.
He's not here.
It's nothing physical, it's It's what? Well, he's been spying on the man next door.
Imagining all sorts of very morbid things.
Like what? Well, like this guy's got a one-man cemetery going on in his garden.
Maybe he does.
You're a big help.
You know, all Caleb's ever seen is death.
It's no wonder he finds it next door.
Yeah, well, I thought you were someone who could show him something different.
But, I guess not.
And by the way we've all seen too much death.
Where is she? Who? My little, bitty pretty one.
Lilly? Looking for something? You wanted to see it, huh? You wanted to see it? Let go of me.
Let go! You wanted to look, so look! They call it stormy Monday but Tuesday's just as bad They call it stormy Monday But Tuesday's just as bad And Wednesday's worse And Thursday, it's, oh, so sad Club soda.
The eagle flies on Friday You're looking awful blue tonight, Doctor.
And Saturday I go out to play It's a blue night.
The eagle flies on Friday Does it work for you? What? And Saturday I go out and I play The pain.
I don't know what you mean.
Oh, sure you do.
Blues are supposed to make you feel better inside.
Because somebody else's got it worse than you do? Never really worked for me.
and I pray And this is what I say Well, maybe you feel too much for other people.
Lord, have mercy, baby Maybe that's why you became a doctor.
Maybe.
I don't remember.
You can't remember? Why, you must be drunk, Dr.
Crower.
I wish.
Lord, have mercy, baby I said, Lord, have mercy on me If I didn't know any better, I'd say you're feeling sorry for yourself.
I don't feel sorry for anybody.
There are just some things I wish I could go back and do over again.
I'd like to change.
Will somebody please send her right on back to me? Well, then go for it.
I'll say it one more time Lord, have mercy, baby Tonight's a special night for me.
Lord, have mercy on me What makes it so special? Three years ago, tonight, I was in a place just like this doing Billie Holiday and boilermakers.
And then I got in the family car and that was the end.
The end of what? The end of what? The end of anything that matters.
Tried to find my baby Will somebody please send her right on back to me? Here's to the pain, Miss Coombs.
Lord, have mercy, baby Lord, have mercy on me Lord, have mercy, baby Lord, have mercy on me I'm trying to find my baby Won't somebody please send her right Hey.
What do you want now? I want to apologize.
Seriously.
I want to tell you something.
You and I have been in each other's faces since you came to Trinity.
And I'd like for us to, sort of, move on.
What do you mean, "move on"? You know, get over it.
Why? Maybe you and I are more like each other than we thought.
Oh, yeah, we're two peas in a pod.
Think about it.
You've got nobody I've got Ben.
That poor guy's well-meaning, but he's a simpleton.
And Selena, well, she's Selena.
Other than that, I'm all alone.
You're breaking my heart, Sheriff.
Is this another transparent maneuver to get Caleb? Nobody's going to "get" Caleb, he's his own man.
Or will be, someday soon.
No, sir.
It's just that it ain't easy being me.
And I imagine it ain't exactly a walk in the park being you either.
You don't know anything about me.
I know you've got more than your share of demons.
You don't know anything about my demons.
Of course I do.
I know you're still beating yourself up for puking on little Claire's Christmas presents when she was six.
For missing her school play three years in a row even though you absolutely meant to be there.
But you know what they say.
The road to hell is paved with good intentions.
Join me? You know I'm sober.
I know you don't drink.
I also know there's a difference.
I've seen you suffer.
I've seen you struggle.
Where's the heroism in a glass of club soda? What do you want, Lucas? The usual, the old quid pro quo.
One hand washes the other.
I know what it means.
What do you want? I want to be rid of you.
Not because I don't like you, because I'm starting to.
But because you are in my hair.
So I'm willing to give you what it is you so desperately want.
And what's that? A chance to go back to revisit your wife and daughter.
Tell them you're sorry, tell them you love 'em tell 'em you won't drink if you ever had the chance to do it over again.
That's impossible.
Nothing's impossible.
I'll even throw in a bonus.
I'll grant you oblivion.
Oblivion.
That's the ticket.
Forgetfulness, sleep, death call it what you will.
You think about it.
By the way I know you think you came down here to work off your debt to society to do penance for that terrible tragedy but I've got news for you, my friend: You didn't choose Trinity.
Trinity chose you.
Daddy! Daddy, come on! Claire? We've been looking all over for you.
Lilly? Did you get my letter? What letter? A love letter.
A love letter? Yeah, I sent it to your office.
I'm sorry, baby, it's probably under a pile of stuff on my desk somewhere.
Well, I wrote you another one, just in case.
Well, thank you, little one.
You are my little, bitty pretty one.
You sleepy? Yeah.
Okay, you lie down.
Hey, Lilly, you're asleep? No.
Are you mad at me? Why would I be mad at you? I'm sure there's something.
You must mean the party last night.
You know, I'm sure that there is something.
Could it be that you called my father a fascist and my boss a fairy, in the course of a single evening? Or that our guests, my guests, actually had to step over you on their way out the door? It's hard sometimes to think of the number one humiliation when there's so many to choose from.
God, Lilly, I'm so sorry.
Oh, well.
Hey.
What? I'm gonna change things.
No, really.
That's why I came back, Lilly.
Are you drunk now? No.
I'm not, Lilly.
What's this? I don't know, Lilly.
I didn't Careful, will you? Mommy, what happened? Shh.
Sweetie, go back to sleep.
Aren't we at Nana's house yet? I thought I saw the mountains.
You did, we're almost there.
We're going to your mother's? Yes, Matt, we have been for the last 2 and a half hours.
Why are we going to your mother's? You're unbelievable.
You don't even remember.
Remember what? That I'm leaving you! No, you don't mean that.
Lilly, I came back to change it! I'm so tired of this.
Hey! Turn off the car! All right.
Get out! I came back to say I'm sorry.
God, Lil, don't do this.
I want us to be together forever.
Get out.
Get out! What? You're having another one of your blackouts.
Get out and let me drive.
No, I'm fine.
I'm trying to change things.
Don't you understand? For your sake, I hope you do, Matt.
But it's too late for us.
What? I stopped loving you a long time ago.
Let go, Matt.
Matt, let us go.
No.
Lil, don't go! Daddy! Lil! Lil! Lil! No! What's the matter? What's the matter, Doc? What's the matter, Doc? What's the matter, Doc? I wonder what nasty business he's up to now.
Caleb, you know what I think? I think that you and I should go over to Mr.
Emmett and we should ask him exactly what he's up to.
Face to face.
What do you think? Don't you? No, ma'am.
No? No, ma'am.
I think I ought to go over there and talk to him myself.
Never had but one friend in my whole life.
Omar was my friend.
Was your friend? Did you kill him? Found him laying out in the garden three days ago.
Somebody put lye in his food.
And I took him out to the river to bury him but you see I just couldn't stand leaving him way out there by himself.
So I brought him back home and buried him right here in the back garden.
How come'd you dig such a big old hole? Because Omar couldn't stand being cooped up.
Come on.
Now he'll Now he'll have all his stuff, for the other side.
Do you know what happens to dogs when they die, Caleb? What happens to 'em? They get to run free all day long.
And in the nighttime, they get to rest at the feet of their masters.
Well, apparently Dr.
Crower didn't come in to work this morning.
I suppose we could table the vote on his contract until he's here to represent himself and move on to the next item.
Excuse me for butting in, but Dr.
Crower won't be coming in to work today or tomorrow, either.
Is he ill? That's a good bet, Doctor.
I'll bet he's sicker than a dog.
Then again, he might be back in recovery.
Dr.
Crower's gone back to Massachusetts.
What? What for? He said something about unfinished business wanting to make things right with his wife.
I thought his wife was dead.
So did I, ma'am.
But sometimes you never really know someone even those in positions of authority.
Like the head doctor.
Just who are you representing here, Buck? The people of Trinity, Doctor.
It's my job to make sure that when my people need medical care that good old Dr.
Crower doesn't remove the wrong organs just because he happens to have a killer hangover that day.
This is character assassination.
Doc Crower's been on the wagon ever since Since what? You don't want the rest of the board knowing that you recommended a man who pleaded nolo contendere to vehicular manslaughter, do you? We who forget the past are condemned We were just getting ready to We who forget the past are condemned to repeat it.
That's what they say.
We had a contract.
I changed my mind.
Folks, I'm sensitive to the confidential nature of personnel discussions so why don't I just leave Dr.
Crower to you.
You promised me oblivion.
But I gave you the truth.
I don't want oblivion now.
What do you want, Doctor? You.
Did you get my letter? What letter? A love letter.
A love letter? Yeah, I sent it to your office.
I'm sorry, baby, it's probably under a pile of stuff on my desk somewhere.
"Dear Daddy, I found the book you left me at breakfast this morning.
"I'm not sure I get it entirely, but the hero reminds me of you.
"Sometimes he's an idiot, but then he has the power to look into the human heart.
"Hang in there, Daddy.
"No matter what happens with you and mommy I'm always your little, bitty pretty one.
"
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