Dad Page #5

My fillings are

still rattling.

Sorry.

So when do you have

to be back at school?

I don't know.

I may not go back to school.

I'm thinking of going

back down to Mexico

to live for a while.

What's the big attraction

with Mexico?

All the people in Mexico

are trying to come here.

Did you know that?

A lot of kids from school

are down there.

They've got a little

community going.

It's, uh, it's fun.

Okay, it's fun,

but believe it or not,

you may want

a job someday, Bill.

Lying on the beach in Mexico

is not going to help prepare

you for anything.

Unless you want to

be a mariachi singer,

in which case it's a

work-study program.

I could say

I went to college.

Nobody checks.

I'll say I have a B.A.

I'll say I have a PhD.

Might as well do it right.

Two PHDs.

One in chemistry,

one in physics.

I have to go back to New York soon,

and I'd like this settled.

What's your mother think?

She said I should use

my best judgment.

I'm not sure how

I feel about this.

We should talk

about this a little bit.

I, I don't see why.

We haven't talked

about it up until now,

and I think I know

what I want.

Johnny, something's wrong.

Would you come

here and take a look?

That'll be all for now,

Mr. Tremont.

You can get dressed

if you like.

Is he all right?

Yes, he's fine.

It's a very

painful procedure.

No getting around it.

Any idea what

the problem might be?

Could be any of

a number of things.

I suspect small growths

in his bladder.

The question is,

are they malignant?

Will the tests you've

just done tell you that?

Not completely.

The fact they're bleeding

is not a good sign.

So this is serious?

Yes. I think we should schedule

him for exploratory surgery.

If it were serious, Dad,

they wouldn't have

let you out of there.

They would've

cut you right open

and operated on the spot.

I wouldn't be

surprised at all

if it were just a cyst.

Just a cyst?

Right.

I don't even think it's

worth telling Mom about.

Why worry her for nothing?

Whatever you say, Johnny.

You're the boss.

He told you, didn't he?

Of course, he told me.

Well, then you know

it's nothing serious.

If it wasn't serious,

you'd have told me

about it yourself.

Look, Mom, you're supposed

to avoid any stress right now.

I was afraid you might

get upset about nothing.

That's why I didn't tell you.

I'm sorry. Maybe I was wrong,

but that's what I was trying to do.

He says it's just a cyst.

That's right.

That's a fairly

simple procedure.

Yes, it is.

Mother, I'd tell you if there

was anything wrong.

I would.

Okay.

Do I walk around

like this, John,

with the back open

and all the nurses here?

Yeah. It says right here

on the admission slip,

"Dress is informal. "

There you go.

You need to sign this, Dad.

What is it?

It just says if anything

happens to you,

I get your catcher's mitt.

I don't have

a catcher's mitt.

Sorry.

Bad joke.

Dr. Santana ordered

this medication.

It's just something

to relax you.

If you have any left over,

I'd like a little.

Guess you have to pay extra

to get one with a personality.

What time is it?

About noon.

Not much longer.

Nope.

Is this comfortable

for you, Dad?

Fine.

I'm gonna let you rest now.

That stuff's gonna

really mellow you out.

Okay.

Don't forget,

if you need anything,

just ring the buzzer here.

I guess this is it, huh?

You're gonna be okay.

You know, John,

I see men now,

they hug.

We've never hugged.

Wanna give it a try?

I do.

I love you, Johnny.

I love you, too, Dad.

Well, Mr. Tremont,

I'm afraid it's cancer.

Cancer.

Yes. There were

several malignant tumors.

I think I got 'em,

but we have to do

some chemotherapy.

We won't radiate.

Not with a man with

your father's age.

Maybe this is

a silly question,

but are you absolutely sure?

Yes.

A virulent form, too.

It's a good thing

we went in and got

it when we did.

Listen, Dr. Santana.

Whatever you do,

don't mention

cancer to my father.

He's terribly anxious and

frightened about that word.

It's beyond

anything rational.

Calm down, Mr. Tremont.

You'd be surprised what these

older people can take.

Their children tend to

underestimate them.

I don't underestimate him,

Doctor.

I want to be the one

to tell him, that's all.

It's cancer, isn't it?

Mom, I told you.

It's a cyst and they

took it out. That's all.

I want to go see him.

Mom!

Mom, you can't go

see him right now.

Will you listen to me?

You can't expose yourself

to that kind of stress.

If he was all right,

you'd let me see him.

Oh, come on, Mom.

John's only thinking about

what's best for you.

You know that.

You got to listen to him, Mom.

Come on.

This is my husband

and I'm gonna see him.

Now, either you're gonna

drive me or I'm gonna walk,

but I'm goin'.

Dad?

What is it?

What's out there?

There's nothing, Dad.

You're in the hospital.

It's fine.

There's nothing the matter.

Billy, go get

Dr. Santana right now.

Just do it!

Get her out of here.

What's the matter

with him?

Jake, it's me!

Why doesn't he know me?

Jake!

Mr. Tremont, I'm Dr. Santana.

Do you know who I am?

I'm fine.

I'm just fine, thank you.

He's in shock.

Give him 25 mg Librium IM

and check his vitals

every two hours.

Yes, Doctor.

This is fairly standard

with older people.

They often go into delayed

shock even after minor surgery.

This is standard?

Do you have any idea

what happened in there?

I'm sure it was a frightening

experience for you,

but what you got

to understand is

that what we're dealing with here

actually is a form of senility.

He wasn't senile

when he came in.

Why should he

suddenly go into senility?

Senility is a very strange thing.

It comes and goes.

You get a stress situation

like this and it just crops up.

I'm sure, with proper

rest and medication,

the situation

will correct itself.

What do we do

in the meantime?

Nothing.

What do you mean

"nothing"?

No tests, no consultations?

We just wait?

We wait for him to respond

to the medication.

He'll be fine.

Don't worry.

Did you tell my father

he has cancer?

You have to understand,

Mr. Tremont,

I have an ethical obligation

to my patients.

He had a right to know.

I'm not quite sure what it is

you want me to do, Mr. Tremont.

Dr. Ethridge,

I don't have a lot of

confidence in Santana.

And you're the

hospital administrator,

and I just want

you to know

that this

doesn't feel right.

Dr. Santana is a

fine young surgeon.

It seems to me that

he's been very thorough

and professional in

your father's case.

I told him not

to say anything

about cancer to my father

because he's very

frightened by that word.

He went ahead

and told him anyway.

Well, it's always a

difficult call for a doctor.

He has to balance the

will of the family members

with the patient's

right to know.

I'm sure he had no choice.

He had a choice.

He could have listened to me.

I know my father.

And what's happening

to him right now

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