Magnum, P.I. (1980) s03e12 Episode Script

Heal Thyself

I've got to talk to you, please, before I go crazy.
I'm sorry.
My relationship with Karen isn't for the press.
- Nurses aren't meant to become doctors.
- Come on.
The board voted to suspend me.
Accept what happened no matter how painful that may be.
Magnum, you keep sticking your nose in where it doesn't belong.
Thomas, what is wrong with me? You hassle Karen again, anywhere, anytime, you answer to me.
- Is that a threat? - You bet.
Hey, Magnum.
Wait up.
Oh.
Are you OK? Yeah.
I don't know about the guy I came in with.
Don't worry.
We don't let them off that easy.
- Or you either.
- Me? Yeah.
Do you remember a little poker game in Danang? You owe me $20.
Pay up.
Karen, I'm wounded.
This is superficial, hardly worth a Purple Heart.
Now pay up.
Well, I thought T.
C.
Owed it to you.
T.
C.
? I don't even know anyone named T.
C.
- I know you, and you owe me $20.
Now pay.
- Karen.
I don't carry cash around with me when I go into combat.
You welshers always have some wonderful excuse for not paying off gambling debts.
- I'm not a welsher.
- Yes, you are.
And if you don't pay me next time I see you, I'm gonna spread it all over South Vietnam and North Vietnam that you welsh on your gambling debts.
- I'm not a welsher.
- Goodbye, Thomas.
I'm not a welsher! Is everything OK? Hi, soldier.
How are you doing? I'm all right, I guess.
- I'm a little scared.
- I'm sure you are.
It's only natural.
You're gonna be fine.
I've looked at your chart.
Everything's Nurse! Nurse! Nurse.
I'm here.
I won't leave you.
I won't.
I'm here.
- Karen? - Over here.
- Come here and help me with this kid.
- Come on.
Karen, he's dead.
Come on.
Come on.
Let's go.
Step lively, men.
The sun is going to be high and hot soon.
Isn't a new athletic field for the Waimanalo Children's Center a worthy cause? Quite worthy.
Then why do we have to build this doghouse to hold this fundraiser on the estate? Because that is the deal that Magnum negotiated.
You mean you would have held the dance here anyway? - Of course.
- I'm gonna kill him.
- You're gonna have to stand in line.
- Oh, stop your carping.
This is a unique opportunity to reproduce a 14th-century structure.
I found these blueprints in the rare manuscript vault at the university.
They're the plans drawn up by the Duke of Cheltenham for a royal house 600 years ago.
Dobermans are German.
Maybe an English doghouse isn't such a hot idea, Higgins.
The lads appreciate the finer things.
They'll be ecstatic.
We'd like to have a word with you.
I don't need to do no talking.
- You guys see the paper today? - Give us the box scores while we work.
I'm serious.
Did you see this? So? What does this have to do with the fundraiser? That's Karen Harmon.
She was with the - No.
- I never made it down to Bin Thuy.
Hey, Thomas.
Higgins said we don't have to - I say, Magnum, where are you going? - You aren't running out on us, are you? We all have people in our lives we believe in, regardless of what happens.
Karen was one of those.
Although I hadn't seen her since Nam, I still remember the look in her eyes the day that young soldier died.
It was like a little part of her had died too.
No answers.
Dr.
Harmon won't talk to anyone today.
Does being a woman have anything to do with this? If you were sitting on the board of directors, who would you suspect? I'm not answering questions.
There'll be a statement another time.
Did being a woman have anything to do with this? She is not gonna answer any of your questions today.
The U.
S.
President answers more questions than she has.
I won't say it again.
This lady's been through a lot.
Do you understand me? The public has a right to know when I wanna tell 'em.
I'd like to find out Thomas.
- Let me ask you this - I'm not answering questions either.
If she was on the board, who would she point the finger at? I'm gonna point my finger at you if you don't cut this out.
- No more questions.
- What is your relationship to the doctor? What is your relationship to the doctor? Thomas, do you remember Nam when the B-52s would hit? One minute, nothing.
And then the ground shook so hard it knocked you off your feet.
That's how it was at the hospital yesterday.
Three surgical patients of mine had died in a month.
It bothered me but I knew I wasn't responsible.
It's happened to other doctors.
I knew that I hadn't made any mistakes.
They did an autopsy on Mrs.
Jorgenson and found digoxin in her blood.
So they autopsy the other two that died, find digoxin and suddenly I'm a murder suspect.
It's ridiculous.
I mean, Karen could never kill anybody.
Tell that to those reporters.
Tell it to the police or the directors at the hospital.
- I'm as good as convicted in their eyes.
- Karen.
Anybody who knows you isn't gonna believe that.
Don't be so sure of that, Thomas, I'm a female surgeon.
That's strike one to a lot of people.
Also, I'm a nurse.
Nurses aren't supposed to become doctors.
Strike two.
And all three of those patients were mine.
- Strike three.
- Come on.
That doesn't prove anything.
Well, apparently it does, Thomas.
The entire board voted to suspend me.
Except for Phillip Harriman, the chief administrator.
I hear that he fought for me.
They are just a bunch of cowards trying to save their own necks and sacrificing Karen to do it.
- Well, maybe I can help.
- How? Well, I am a private investigator.
How will the reporters react when they find out she's hired a private investigator? - I didn't say anything about hiring.
- You guys aren't known for working for free.
- Robert, Thomas is my friend.
- You are my fiancée.
We appreciate you coming by, Magnum, but I can handle this.
- Robert.
- Quietly.
Karen? Thank you, Thomas.
We'll work it out.
I know what you're thinking, Robert and Karen were clear about not wanting my help and it wasn't any of my business, so why not spend my time enjoying the fringes that come from living in paradise? The problem is I'm always a sucker for all those trite sayings like "A friend in need is a friend indeed".
Right now Karen was in need and could use all the friends she could get, whether she realized it or not.
I'm sorry, Mr.
Magnum.
I can't help you.
Mr.
Harriman, Karen said you were the only one who fought for her.
Why? - Because I think she's innocent.
- Who do you think is guilty? I'm sorry.
The police and our lawyers have told me to say nothing about that.
Well, someone's saying something.
Or don't you read the papers? Of course I read the papers, and I hate everything I see.
Dr.
Stern to Radiology.
Well, tell me this.
Who's this Dr.
Jorgenson who got this whole thing going? He's a surgeon here.
His wife was the last patient to die.
The other two victims were a lawyer named Cox And a tourist with an emergency appendectomy.
I'm sorry.
That's all I'm gonna say about this.
Look.
Nobody wants to help Karen more than I do, but I have a hospital to run, a board of directors to answer to, and a staff of nearly 700 people I'm responsible for.
These murders could ruin us.
What do you think they're doing to Karen? Mr.
Harriman, Mr.
Phillip Harriman, telephone, please.
I'm sorry.
- Excuse me.
- Oh, hi.
Eric Daniels, Honolulu Dispatch.
I'm a reporter.
I was just admiring your car.
Wow.
Listen.
I'd like to ask you a few questions, if I might, about Karen Harmon.
I'm sorry.
My relationship with Karen isn't for the press.
I'm sorry to hear that.
I'd hate to look elsewhere for speculation, especially why she hired an investigator.
She didn't hire me.
We're friends.
You met in Nam, right? Uh, look, Magnum, is it? I traced you through this car of yours, or should I say Robin Masters'.
I did a little digging.
You know reporters.
I'm learning.
Nam must have been pretty rough, huh? Especially on a woman like Karen.
- What's your point, Daniels? - Karen was a nurse.
Was she a good one? The best.
She worked round the clock, six, seven days a week.
Saved a lot of lives.
- Maybe you ought to write about that.
- Maybe I will.
Just one more question, please.
So you're saying it was as rough on the nurses as it was for you guys on the line? Maybe rougher.
See, all they could do was pick up the pieces.
We could fight back.
I guess it had to tear them up inside.
It tore us all up.
Bye.
Well, thank you.
Thank you very much.
Pleasure.
Beautiful car.
You're weird.
I spent the rest of the afternoon tracing the three murder victims.
The lawyer was well-known in Honolulu and had been defending a union leader on trial for misappropriating union funds when his gallbladder kicked up.
Now the union leader would get a new trial.
I put Rick on that one.
The tourist with the appendectomy was a used car salesman from Philadelphia.
Unless someone was very upset with a '72 Chevy he sold them, I couldn't figure a reason for anyone murdering him.
But I asked Rick to check that one too.
Dr.
Jorgenson had flown back to the mainland to bury his wife.
He was due in today and I decided to check him myself.
Well, I couldn't give them all to Rick.
Swimming in the rain, I see.
Rather energetic for this kind of weather.
I hope you haven't got it into your head to try out for the Iron Man competition again.
No.
Higgins, do you know a Dr.
Jorgenson? A Dr.
Jorgenson applied for membership at the King Kamehameha club a while ago.
Nearly a year back as I recall.
I was interim chairman after Corky Foxworth had been persuaded to step down.
Well, not persuaded, really.
He was removed.
And not a moment too soon, either.
The man had absolutely no sense of quality or style and hadn't made any effort to define standards for evaluating applicants.
Higgins, just fill me in on what you know about Dr.
Jorgenson! Does this have to do with Dr.
Harmon? Perhaps you should look at this newspaper.
Mr.
Daniels quotes several sources, Magnum.
Including you.
- I don't believe this.
- That's all out of context.
- Why did you talk to him at all? - I told you this would happen.
Why didn't you tell me you'd been a VA patient? Because it's not relevant.
A lot of people spent time in VA hospitals after Nam.
- Thomas, you know that.
- Sure, but They're not all off-the-wall loonies like this article suggests with help from you.
I mean if I'd known, I might have been able to figure out what Daniels was fishing for.
We didn't ask for your help, remember? Well, that's not the point now, is it? Who at the hospital knew you'd been a VA patient? I don't know.
All I know is that I haven't slept for two nights, I jump every time my phone rings, and I can't leave my own house.
- This is worse than prison.
- Karen.
Karen.
That's great.
You've done your good deed for the day.
Why don't you go play boy scouts somewhere else? Robert, we're on the same side.
The hell we are, Magnum.
Daniels? Hello, Magnum.
Where do you come off writing a story like the one in today's paper? It's all the truth.
The truth has nothing to do with it.
You so-called investigative reporters drape yourself in the flag, hide behind the First Amendment and do whatever it takes.
I'm sorry.
That article was accurate, including your quotes.
- All taken out of context.
- They were your words.
You made it look like I think she's some kind of delayed-stress vet, a crazy killer.
- I didn't say she was a killer.
- Well, you sure got the thought across.
- You got a problem? Write to the editor.
- What the hell for? He's just like you.
He's looking for stories to sell papers.
Who told you she'd been a VA patient? - Who told you? Who, Daniels? - You should know better.
- My sources are confidential.
- Who? Look.
Reporters are a lot like private investigators.
We get paid to see what other people miss.
I can't guarantee you'll like what I find.
Well, I'm not gonna get in a spitting contest with a snake.
You hassle Karen again, anywhere, anytime, you're gonna answer to me.
Excuse me.
Is that a threat? You bet.
As far as I know, Tiny Timmy was happy with the way Tiny Timmy? Tim Timaura's nickname.
He's the union boss that's in trouble.
Anyway, Tiny Timmy was very, very happy with the way his lawyer handled this case.
- I don't think he would have had him hit.
- What about the used car salesman? That guy's got possibilities.
He's also Other side of the line.
That'll be too short.
He's also a number rackets guy.
And a collector.
And it seems that he got his money to come over here on this trip by dipping into the take from last week.
That's what Ice Pick tells me.
He said he'd get back to me.
How long? I tell you what.
Why don't you take this, this and this? You take this over and we'll speed it up, OK? Thanks.
You know, Thomas.
From what you said, I don't think this lady really wants your help.
Rick, she's confused.
- How do you know that she didn't do it? - I just know, that's all.
I don't know this lady, but I tell you, I know Nam.
People that were there didn't just walk away and pretend that it didn't happen.
Rick, she's under a lot of pressure but she can handle it.
I love it up here.
It's so cool and open.
Sure different from Nam.
I hated it there.
It wasn't easy to like.
Yeah, but I went because I thought I could help bring people back.
And you did, Karen.
A lot of them.
Somehow I feel like I've forgotten me.
Thomas, when I got back from Nam, I just felt empty.
There were no highs, no lows, no joy.
No regret.
Just just nothing.
When I got to the VA hospital, that was good for me because it gave me time to regroup.
That helped.
- And so did Phillip.
- Phillip? Phillip Harriman.
He was working at the VA hospital in San Diego when I got there.
I needed somebody to talk to.
And he didn't seem to mind listening.
We got very close.
One point, we were talking about marriage.
What happened? Medical school for me and a job in the islands for him.
By the time I got my residency in Honolulu, he wanted to start where we left off, but it was over for me.
Course, by that time there was Robert.
Phillip never He never understood.
Good friends are very hard to find, aren't they? Are you my friend, Thomas? I mean really my friend? Of course I'm your friend, Karen.
Oh, God, Thomas.
What is wrong with me? You're just going through a tough time.
Anyone else would have fallen apart by now.
I'm afraid that I am.
I mean I just want to cry all the time.
Or else I want to curl up in a little ball and have someone hold me.
And tell me I'm all right.
And that it's OK.
And that Karen, you're gonna be all right.
I wish I believed that.
And I wish you believed it.
You know, when it came right down to it, I really didn't know Karen that well.
It had been years since I'd seen her in Nam.
I knew she'd changed.
We all had.
The question was how.
I needed an update from someone who knew Dr.
Harmon, who'd worked with her and seen her under pressure.
Phil Harriman hadn't been willing to say much.
I was hoping Dr.
Jorgenson might.
Dr.
Jorgenson.
I'm Thomas Magnum.
I'm a friend of Karen Harmon's and I came to find out what happened at the hospital.
Would you give us a couple of seconds? I'm afraid I don't have a very objective attitude about that, Mr.
Magnum.
You demanded an autopsy, Doctor.
Why? Because my wife died.
That's why.
She went into hospital a fit woman who needed a hysterectomy.
One day later, she's dead.
Look, I know that had to come as a shock to you, but being a doctor, you know those things happen.
Now, what would make you suspect that it was murder? I didn't.
I assumed Dr.
Harmon or the anesthesiologist screwed up.
I went half crazy, thinking if I could have performed the operation or assisted, she'd still be alive.
I'll be honest with you.
At first, all I wanted was my pound of flesh.
An eye for an eye.
That's when I requested the autopsy.
When they found digoxin in her blood, I had this feeling of relief.
Because I couldn't have prevented her death, not if Dr.
Harmon murdered her.
Dr.
Jorgenson, Karen hasn't even been charged.
Look.
Three people have died.
Karen Harmon was the surgeon and attending physician for all of them.
People are also innocent until proven guilty.
I've lost the best friend I ever had.
It's hard to just sit and wait for justice.
I don't think convicting an innocent person is gonna serve justice, Doctor.
Dr.
Harmon? I'm glad I caught you.
I wanted to talk to you before you left.
I've been talking to a friend of yours, Mr.
Magnum.
- Thomas? - He said some things that Well, they sunk in.
I realize there's nothing I can do that'll bring Marion back.
No doctor plans to lose a patient, but mistakes are made.
Errors in judgment occur.
We know it can happen to any one of us.
We dread the day that it might.
Dr.
Jorgenson, I didn't make any mistakes.
When mistakes are made I don't think anyone suffers more than the doctor responsible.
I know I'd have a terrible time ever forgiving myself.
I'm not responsible for your wife's death.
Karen, she was given an overdose of digoxin.
I'm sure it wasn't intentional.
I'm trying very hard to accept that, to believe it.
And to forgive you.
And I think you have to do the same thing.
You have to accept what happened, no matter how painful that may be.
Accept it or you'll never forgive yourself.
Nurse! Help mel Nurse! Higgins, this doghouse will take longer to build than the pyramids.
- How come you didn't bring a power saw? - Power tools didn't exist in the 14th century.
Why can't we use nails? Everything's peg and leather.
Not one nail in the structure.
Peg and leather? Yeah, I guess they didn't use nails in the 14th century either.
Keep up the good work.
This is something you'll be proud to tell your grandchildren.
This walking stick was given to me by Monty himself after our campaign in Sicily.
Hey, man.
This dance was your idea to raise money for the athletic field.
- This is your brainstorm? - Well How come we're out here dancing cheek to cheek by ourselves? Because this thing with Karen's been taking all of my time, T.
C.
- What did you get? - Forget the used car salesman.
Ice Pick said the guy won the money for his trip to Hawaii at a racetrack.
I've got something else for you.
Karen's boyfriend's been scoring dope in town.
- Robert Brighton? - That's right.
Small quantities of heroin.
And he's got a woman stashed at a beach house at the Kalanianaole Highway.
Magnum.
- Have you heard the news? - What? The police searched Karen's apartment and found a large quantity of digoxin.
Well, she is a doctor.
They also arrested her for murder.
I tried to talk to Karen at the police station but I couldn't get near her.
With a little help from Rick, I got the address of a cottage Brighton kept in Waikiki and I drove by for a chat.
Unless I was very wrong about Karen, someone planted those drugs in her house.
After what Rick had said, Robert was a real strong possibility.
Er Miss? Magnum! You just keep sticking your nose in where it doesn't belong.
- Look, Robert.
- You look.
You're on a crusade trying to prove what a hotshot you are.
I'm just trying to help Karen.
By snooping into people's lives and houses and abusing their families? Karen was arrested when the cops found drugs in her house.
She didn't put 'em there.
You think I did? What do you take me for? Well, you tell me.
I know you've been scoring heroin.
Then there's this house.
And the girl.
Magnum, this has nothing to do with Karen at all and that girl is my sister.
I flew her over here from the mainland because she was killing herself on heroin.
I thought maybe if I got her here to Hawaii I could help her kick it, slowly and quietly.
Does Karen know about this? I couldn't tell her.
She's got enough to deal with.
Bobby, please! All right, honey.
Come on.
I'd appreciate it, Magnum, if you wouldn't mention this to Karen.
The role of architect as artist has been sorely neglected.
Where the painter has oils, the sculptor marble or clay, the poet words, the architect has only space.
That immaterial essence the painter suggests and the sculptor fills, the architect envelops.
But listen to me rattling on.
Forgive me, Dr.
Harmon.
After all, you did come to see Magnum.
Until he comes, may I get you something? Perhaps a cup of chamomile tea? No.
No, thank you, Mr.
Higgins.
I'm fine.
It's, er It's just that I've never been in jail before.
- It was so horrible.
- I know too well what you mean.
They fingerprinted me.
And, er And then they body-searched me.
And then they put me in this room that, um that smelled of smoke and sweat and urine.
It was one of Like one of those terrible interrogation cells at Long Binh prison.
Dr.
Harmon.
Perhaps you shouldn't talk about it.
The thing is, there was a there was a point where I didn't I really, really didn't know if what they were saying about me was true or not.
- Dr.
Harmon - That's been happening a lot lately.
Dr.
Jorgenson came to see me to, uh forgive me for my mistake.
I heard myself saying that I hadn't done it.
But somewhere inside of me, I knew that I had.
That what he was saying was right.
And I wanted so badly to be forgiven.
You see, that's what scares me.
I can't remember anything.
Do you think I could have done it and not remember? No.
I'm certain you couldn't have.
There are some things that I remember so clearly.
People and places from Nam.
Like they're happening all over again.
I have seen so much death.
And so much senseless pain.
Other people can't understand that.
They just can't.
Dr.
Harmon.
Any of us who have experienced the horrors of war have them indelibly printed on our minds.
But that's the only place they exist.
The war is over.
Maybe it's never over.
Maybe we always carry the war around inside of us.
Like a time bomb.
Ticking away.
Waiting to go off.
Why don't I make us that tea? Nurse! Help me! Nurse! Magnum.
- What happened to you? - Someone tried to run me off the Pali.
- Who? - It's a little hard to tell.
I was too busy trying to save my skin.
But I've sure got a hunch.
How about Karen Harmon? - She's in jail.
- She's been out on bail for five hours.
And she came looking for you? Come on, that's crazy.
That's exactly why I think it's her.
I know you can find her.
I'm willing to keep my mouth shut around the cops.
All I want is an exclusive on her story.
- Who's your source? - That's my business.
You said you wanted an exclusive.
I told you.
I cannot reveal my sources.
Well, this had to be someone with an axe to grind, someone with something to protect, or both.
Someone who wanted to see Karen take a fall and used you to set her up.
- I don't believe that.
- Maybe not.
But if it is, see, with Karen in jail, you're expendable.
You know, Daniels, this little story of yours just might end up getting you killed.
It was Harriman.
Phillip Harriman.
Mr.
Harriman? Hi, kitty.
Mr.
Harriman? Mr.
Harriman? Mr.
Harriman.
Hello, again.
- What are you, a jack-in-the-box? - Funny.
Very original.
Well, it looks like Harriman's death kind of shall we say kills your theory.
What do you want to bet he died of digoxin? - Maybe he just had a heart attack.
- He was murdered and you know it.
The autopsy's gonna show that.
You're not gonna wait for the autopsy, are you? - I can't print what I don't know is fact.
- Why change now? - What are you gonna write? - What I always write.
The truth.
That you talked to Harriman and that he died unexpectedly and that it's suspected murder, and I found the body and I just happen to know Karen who's up on murder charges in the hospital where Harriman just happened to be chief administrator.
- It's the truth, isn't it? - On the surface, absolutely.
It's just what's between the lines that bothers me.
But that's what you're best at.
You know, everyone thinks of doctors as gods.
Above the law, beyond reproach, like members of some exclusive club.
I'm sorry, but I don't think that I'm doing a disservice to society by proving otherwise.
Well, I told you what I'd do if you hassled Karen again.
Well, you weren't exactly specific.
Something about a snake.
That was just your ego talking.
You wouldn't risk a lawsuit for Slugging Daniels was a childish reaction.
He was right.
It would probably get me sued or arrested or both.
But it was worth it.
With Harriman dead, I was running out of suspects.
Worst of all, I started thinking Daniels might be right.
Deep down, I still didn't believe that but I was running low on conviction.
I hoped talking to Karen would take care of that, if I could find her.
And if she'd talk.
She was here, frantic to talk with you.
What do you mean? You let her go? Of course I didn't.
The poor woman was hysterical.
I went to make her a cup of tea.
- As I did, she bolted like a frightened colt.
- How hysterical? On the verge of a complete breakdown.
Rambling on about Vietnam, the hospital, blaming it on herself.
She's under enormous pressure.
The police, the press.
Even Dr.
Jorgenson.
Dr.
Jorgenson? He stopped by to forgive her and suggest she admit her mistake.
It upset her terribly.
- Dr.
Jorgenson isn't noted for his tact.
- What do you mean? His application to join the club was rejected.
- Why? - I'm not at liberty to say.
- Damn it, Higgins! - He's a terrible philanderer.
We found evidence of no fewer than nine illicit affairs.
His wife was threatening to leave him.
- T.
C.
, come on.
- Come on? Yeah, you don't want to keep working on that thing all day.
Come on.
Hey! Hey, what about me? - It's their loss, Rick.
- We're stuck with all the work.
But we have the satisfaction of having completed the task at hand.
And of course, we'll have the everlasting appreciation of Zeus and Apollo.
Isn't that right, lads? It's the lighthouse at Makapuu Point.
I know where we're going.
I wanna know why.
Dr.
Karen Harmon.
There she is.
Nurse! Nurse! Karen, he's dead.
Karen.
- It's me, Thomas.
- Go away! - Karen, I want to talk to you.
- I am tired of talking and tired of listening to too many words that don't make any sense.
You've been listening to the wrong people.
You didn't kill those patients.
I think Dr.
Jorgenson did it.
And he used you so he wouldn't be suspected.
- Why? - To cover up killing his wife.
No.
No, I can't believe that, Thomas.
Karen, don't give up.
Not now.
Not when it's almost over.
It's over for me now! No, it's not.
You've been through worse and survived.
It's too much for me to take this time, Thomas.
Just let me be.
What are you gonna do, Karen? Gonna jump? Yes.
Four innocent people have already died.
You jump, it's gonna be five.
You went to Nam to help people come back.
Became a doctor to help people live.
You wanna give up on yourself, that's your choice.
Just don't expect me to stand here and watch it.
Thomas.
Wait up.
- Stay down.
- OK.
I knew if he had a revolver he only had six shots.
Course, if he had an automatic, he could have seven.
Or eight.
Then again, he could have one of those 13-shot automatics.
Or he could have two guns.
Oh, well.
Damn it, T.
C.
Where are you? - All right? - Yeah.
Thanks, T.
C.
Karen? Hey, Magnum.
How about that 20 bucks you owe me?
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