Dementia Page #2

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There's a lot of death in this house.

Yeah, well, don't tell George

we're in here.

Why not, Georgie?

He's, um, he's not everything

you hoped he'd be.

But I do know that he's happy to have you

here especially on your vacation

and I, for one...

I couldn't do this on my own.

Then you can be the one to tell Mom

why I'm not gonna see her till summer.

Yeah, do you think she'd take my call?

I kinda like this home nurse idea.

Yeah, I don't know.

You said it yourself,

he built this house for you.

I think the least you could do

is give him this last chance.

What's all that you got there?

Oh, it's, um, a combination

of Western and Eastern medicine.

You know, blood viscosity's

unique to the person so...

we wanna make sure your blood is

thin enough to move but not too thin.

You're a walking pharmacy.

All right, guest room's

all yours, Michelle.

Uh, Shelby and I'll be at a motel

until the two of you decide

- whether this is a good fit or not.

- Leaving already?

We won't be long. We're gonna

come back and cook you dinner.

I don't know you.

But I would like the chance.

Me, too, grandpa.

You're very lucky, George.

You have a gorgeous family.

- He doesn't like me much.

- Well, I think he'll...

just need to get used to the situation.

What he needs is to get his wife back.

You play chess?

- Maybe later. You should rest now.

- Oh, I'm not tired.

Oh, doctor's orders.

I can give you just a small sleep aid.

That's not... Ow!

It's okay, good rest will do you wonders.

Sleep replenishes.

Let's get you up here

before we lose you all together.

- Let's get...

- No, no, don't take that...

Wow.

- Would you look at that?

- Vietnamese torture.

Take you apart piece by piece.

Is that what the tattoo is for?

Uh... no.

All, uh, all... all of us got one.

We, uh, we... Oh, God,

that stuff works fast.

Ooh.

George, wake up, George.

Your family's gonna be here soon.

You gave me quite a scare.

You know, I found you outside the house.

- Oh!

- You were sleepwalking.

I wish I would have known.

Do you see these?

I am going to have to keep these

in my possession. Okay?

And if you have any more lying around

the house please let me know, George.

You know I have to do this, right?

You're locking me in?

Well, it's for your own safety.

No. I forbid you to do this.

I don't take orders from you,

this is my house. My house!

Dementia sufferers are prone to wandering

and can unknowingly put themselves

in dangerous situations.

It's actually standard protocol

when the patient is a sleepwalker.

Did you hear that, Dad,

it's for your own good.

I'm not deaf, goddammit,

and I'm not a sleepwalker.

Where did he go?

I found him outside the house

lying on the ground.

That's a lie.

You could've ended up

walking into traffic.

I could think of worse fates.

You know, if you want I can set up

an appointment with your doctor,

- and you can go over everything with him.

- No, that's okay.

Uh, of course it is.

How about I get started on dinner?

Grandpa, do you need anything?

- How about some tea?

- I'll get it.

I can make the tea.

George...

would you like to make the tea?

I can make tea, I'm not an idiot.

Why don't we play a little memory game?

- How do you make tea?

- I said that I can make the tea.

- Oh.

- Just tell me, George.

- Hot water and a tea bag.

- No, no, no.

Um, tell me step by step.

Starting with how you get up

out of the chair.

Um, get up.

From the chair. And you go to the kitchen.

You put the teapot on the stove.

- It's on the stove?

- It's on the counter, but it...

it goes on the stove and you put...

put that on the stove.

And then you, uh, find a cup.

And then you, uh, find a teabag.

What kind of tea is it?

No, no, it's a bag, it's a bag, bag.

And it's... and it's...

it's in a canister.

- And what's next to it?

- You... you...

You get some water, and you...

Goddammit.

Let's try something, okay?

Just write it down step by step, okay?

Get... up.

Uh, go to kitchen.

Get... teapot.

Mm-hmm, and then?

- Get a cup.

- Mm-hmm.

Uh, uh...

get a teabag.

Uh, water, water, gotta have water.

- Water, water in the teapot.

- Mm-hmm, and then?

And then turn on burner.

Boil water.

Okay.

- Excellent, excellent work.

- Not bad, huh?

Mm-hmm.

- Let's do another one.

- After dinner.

I can't tell you how relieved

we are to have found you.

I mean, we're not exactly close so...

I wasn't sure how this

was all gonna shake out.

Well, I'm the one who's grateful.

Your father is the perfect patient

for someone like me.

George, perfect?

You sure about that?

So, you got a boyfriend or what?

- So we're going there now?

- Just small talk.

- More than I can handle.

- Attagirl, don't settle.

Easier said than done.

That's your game? Distract them

with charm and then go in for the kill.

All right, Dad, we're heading out.

I'm only 6 moves away from beating

the tar out of this one.

Don't get too cocky, old man.

This isn't over.

We'll see you tomorrow, okay?

Goodnight.

- Goodnight.

- Goodnight.

- Busy day.

- Yeah.

You were a handsome solider.

That's arguable.

I love these photos.

Hand me my cane.

These are great.

Those men...

best men I've ever known.

Dead now, most of them.

Most of them died then, actually.

As far as I know,

I might be the last one of them left.

Did you see a lot of battle?

Some.

Terrible memories.

Tell me... your very worst memories.

Uh, I don't know, I think

I drank the worst ones away.

You're an alcoholic.

I used to say I was a drinking man

with a fishing problem.

The smell of it makes me sick now.

Well, it must have been

a very difficult time.

You know, recalling memories

that you would normally like to forget

can be a helpful exercise, George.

Uh, think of it like...

like shining a light

into a darkened corner.

Everything is still there.

Even when the light fades, isn't it?

Owning your memories is a way

to control them, George.

I've got so many. Too many.

Only your darkest.

You're a curious bird, aren't you?

Okay.

One night, about two months

after we were captured...

they, uh, they bound me up...

they tied me up to another solider.

And it was a hard road and we

all hung in there every day

listening for that helicopter that was

gonna come and get us out of there.

So that night my bunkmate...

found a way to cut himself free.

And I didn't know he had planned to do it

and, uh, I didn't notice him doing it

but I woke up in the middle of the night

and he was standing over me...

crying.

And I told him be quiet

and cut me free, too.

He wouldn't have it and...

Well, long story short

I lay there all bound up...

and watched him bleed out

through the wrists.

He had bitten through his wrist.

Oh, my God.

Took him over an hour to die.

Which one, um, which... which one was he?

Yeah, here he is.

Right here. That's him.

He had a face made for radio.

- He was broken.

- Not you, though.

Well, it took a toll on all of us.

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