A Warm December Page #3

that I was perfectly all right before you left.

Stefanie. you wait here.

I'll be back soon.

-But. Daddy--

-Stefanie.

I won't be long.

I want to run a sickle-cell prep.

I think there's a slight jaundice

in her eyes.

I'll do it.

Any pain?

Nothing.

It may not be fatal.

It could be the trait and not the anemia.

Let's do an electrophoresis.

It's not necessary. She'll know.

Trait or the anemia?

The anemia.

Both parents?

Mother.

How old was she when she died?

Twenty-two.

How old are you. Catherine?

Twenty-seven.

Well

there are those who g' o into their 30s.

Yes. that would be nice. wouldn't it?

The helicopter.

Sudden drop in temperature

and you went into a crisis.

Yes.

Yeah.

and all the time I was trying to reach you...

...you were in bed

having your blood volume expanded.

Yes.

I understand now.

The man with the scars who watches you

all the time. he's your doctor.

Dr. Myomo.

He's been so for years now.

The man in the trench coat?

Private detective.

My uncle knows it's futile to keep me

from going over the wall every so often.

The least he can do is to know where I am

and what I do. more or less.

Well. I finally got you all together.

You're not twins. You're triplets.

Why didn't you tell me?

Official policy. State secret.

No embarrassment. No pity.

Why didn't you stop me. then?

You knew I'd find out.

Because we're more than friends.

I admire you very much

for the work you're doing.

Let's go have some coffee

and do some talking.

We started in Washington D.C..

in a poor neighborhood...

...where health care

was almost nonexistent.

Today.

we have 27 clinics all over the world...

...and nearly 200 doctors in service

on five continents.

Henry Barlow is one of us.

You see. the world is dangerously close

to having too few doctors...

...in too many places.

And we believe that neighborhood clinics

will relieve some of that strain...

...and buy us a little time

to hopefully catch up.

I've got an idea.

-What?

Stefanie's got a closet full of toys.

Come to Washington with me

and you can play all the games you want.

What a marvelous inducement.

I know a....

I know a really groovy game.

It's. uh....

It's a sort of a board game.

Well. it's a bed and board game.

It takes two to play. It's called wedlock.

I'll give you one more shot.

Come to Portsmouth with Stef and me

and watch the race.

Thank you.

Sixty. 70. 80. 90. 1 pound.

Thank you.

Wait. what are you doing?

What color do you want?

Here.

Hold on.

Hold on.

There you are.

Thank you.

They're lovely.

Aww.

-What do we do?

-Get some more.

Yeah.

Okay. come on. Let's go.

My ladies.

We gotta have two more.

How is that. my dear lady?

-Here.

-There you are. there.

Good girl.

-Thank you.

-Say thank you.

Come on. say thank you.

-Say thank you.

-Bye-bye.

GIRL:

Wait. it's moving.

Maybe Carol and Janie

will be able to come to the race.

I hope so. They're so much fun.

If they wanna say a dirty word.

they say ''bloody.''

It's not the worst word they have.

They have other words.

I told them some of ours.

Attention. please.

The train now standing at Platform 4...

...is the fast train to Portsmouth,

stopping at Guildford and Talbot.

I changed my mind.

-We go back.

-Right.

Stefanie.

There's a disease of the blood

called sickle-cell anemia.

It's hereditary.

meaning it's passed from parent to child.

It's not contagious.

It's a black disease.

Whites hardly ever get it.

One in every 500 American blacks

have it.

ln Africa. the figures are not exact.

but we suspect they're equally as high.

Catherine has sickle-cell anemia.

Well. she'll get better. won't she?

She can take shots.

There are no shots for it.

There is no cure.

You mean she'll never get better?

Well. there are ways to treat the crises...

...but we don't know

when they're gonna come.

We do know that in between.

a person can live a fairly normal life.

Will she die. Daddy?

Honey. research is being done

all the time.

Something can always break.

remember that.

Now. this is Catherine's secret.

you understand?

She's living with it as if it isn't there.

I'm not gonna tell you how to act.

I'm sure you know.

Yes. Daddy.

I love her.

And I want her to come home with us.

Oh. yes.

Now. all we've gotta do is convince her.

I can't help it.

I just can't help it.

Oh. Margaret.

you shouldn't have waited up.

That's all right.

Is my uncle still up?

Yes. he's in the sitting room.

Thank you.

Good evening. uncle.

The party was ma--

Well. how soon can you be ready?

Or would you rather wait till morning?

Joseph.

I told them

that you're coming to the country...

...with Stefanie and me for a few days.

Oh. I see.

I suppose I should have waited.

let you tell them yourself.

Yes. that might have been better.

I just couldn't hold it in.

Oh. please. Joseph. speak English.

I want my friend to hear our argument.

Catherine. you absolutely must be here

to see the Soviet minister.

Do you see how indispensable I am?

Who else in my government

can remember...

...Pyotr Vasilyovich Ivanof-Tserkovnyj's

full name?

Stop this.

I said I like you very much...

...that I can be back in a few days

and will not see you again.

Do you still want me to go?

Catherine. you go under your terms

and I'll go under mine.

You take a chance.

After all. how many times

do you pass through?

May I cook?

If you wanna eat. you better cook.

And wash dishes and make beds

and simply fuss about with Stefanie.

Just as long as you rattle pots and pans.

Marvelous. It will be a vacation.

Good.

Then I'll pick you up tomorrow

at 9 sharp.

And bring warm clothes.

Of course.

Sleep well.

And you.

Good night.

May we have the phone number there

in event of emergency?

You may not.

You are an ambassador.

Don't let there be an emergency.

Doctor. I'll need some information.

MYOMO :

Blood type. B positive.

ln crises. I've been using

5-percent glucose or saline.

Does she take any sedatives?

MYOMO :

Empirin. codeine. HaIf a grain.

But she won't tell you the truth

about her pain.

I can fairly well determine how she's feeling

by watching the contents of the bottle.

-May I have copy of this. please?

-I'll have one for you in the morning.

Thank you. Anything else?

Only that you're making a big mistake.

You must forgive Joseph's abruptness.

He's been Catherine's physician for years.

has developed a certain attachment.

Yes. I can understand how a thing

like that could happen.

Good night. sir.

Good night.

Hello.

-Look what I got you.

-African drums.

Super.

Did you tell her?

Yes.

I was 7. It was an airplane accident.

We lived in Boston then.

in a big house on a hill.

Daddy was in private practice.

That was before

we had the office in Washington.

-Look.

-Wow.

-You might like to wear them for a while.

-Gee. can l?

-Are they very old?

-Oh. yes.

Some people in my country think

they were made by Kintu...

...the first man God put on Earth.

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