Dementia Page #3

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But you won that award,

the distinguished...

Distinguished service cross.

Right, wow. So you must

have done something good.

Oh, I did. Three nights later

I cut the throats

of the three guards down

on our end of the camp

- and we were all airlifted out of there.

- How did you manage that?

Well, I couldn't take it any longer

so I found a way, and, uh...

we all find a way, I suppose. But...

I found that little stone

that he had used to cut his ties.

And it was in the dirt,

it was right under my feet

and I found it and cut myself free.

Hmm. It's funny.

How's that?

It's just... you know.

Two men are faced

with an identical scenario.

Your friend...

well, your friend, he, um...

he bit through his wrists

to end his misery.

And you, on the other hand slit throats.

No, he wasn't my friend, no.

He was the one who surrendered us.

And he died of guilt.

A Judas.

I see.

Well, thank you so much for sharing that.

I think it's time for your medicine.

Hmm.

We're gonna take it slow, okay?

Some aspirin, low dose Lipitor

- and an antidepressant.

- Antidepressant?

Well, you know, sufferers of dementia

can be prone to depression

can even have suicidal thoughts,

so you know, given your past...

I don't wanna take

any chances with my prize.

Your prize.

- Good boy.

- So I'm a dog now.

And you're gonna be a sleepy little puppy.

Let's get you up to bed, okay?

- Yeah.

- Yeah, okay.

Well, you wanna be my nurse, too.

- She sleeps with you.

- Keeps my feet warm.

Makes an old man less lonely.

- No.

- No?

That's just not safe

for either one of you.

I'll just keep her outside with me, okay?

- All right.

- Hmm.

- Goodnight.

- Goodnight.

Let me guess, that was work.

I can't take any more time off, okay?

So we'll, uh, we'll have to say goodbye

and drive back tomorrow night, okay?

- Leaving now?

- Look, I don't have a choice.

Well, it's my vacation and I wanna stay.

Okay.

If it were you, would you want me to stay?

Look, if you wanna stay,

you can stay, okay?

I'm not gonna stop you, it's just...

I don't want you

to get too attached, okay?

My name is Lieutenant

Colonel Richard Hendricks.

I am a war criminal.

I have witnessed and participated in...

the murder of innocent

women and children...

at the urging of my country,

the United States of America.

Who?

Oh! Oh, Goddammit!

Michelle!

George?

George?

Come here, George.

Do you see your cat, George?

Do you remember hurting your cat?

I wouldn't do this.

You had a knife.

No. No, George.

It's my fault.

We tried too aggressive a regiment.

I asked you to speak about things

you weren't comfortable talking about.

Let's forego the antidepressants

until you really need them

- until you stop with the sleepwalking.

- I don't f***ing sleepwalk!

George, when you get upset

your blood pressure rises.

It is not good for your health, George.

- Hello.

- We brought bagels.

- Holy sh*t!

- Oh, God, Dad, are you okay?

- Don't go in there, Shelby.

- No.

What the f***?

- Holy sh*t.

- Everyone, please, use calmer voices.

- He's upset enough about his episode.

- This is so gross.

We have to be able to forgive him

when he acts out of character.

- You think I did this?

- There is blood all over your shirt.

- Why is he still wearing that?

- She's gonna kill me.

You know what? Yesterday, you thought

Shelby was trying to steal from you

today Michelle's trying to kill you,

last night it was the f***ing cat.

Did it ever occur to you

that maybe you just lost control?

You wouldn't know a killer

if you stared one in the face.

All right, enough!

We're lucky, okay.

It could have been much worse than this.

- Grandpa?

- I'm coming.

You need help getting that off?

You okay?

Yeah, I was just... lost for a moment.

God, I know the feeling.

Sorry about my dad.

He hasn't been himself since all this.

I built this house.

You know that?

Dad told me. It's beautiful.

But this house...

existed for many years...

before I actually built it.

See, I designed this house in my mind...

when I was in the POW camp.

It was a way to manage pain

and... and it saved my life.

I don't think I could have

held onto my sanity without it.

Well, I thought about every little detail.

I drew up the blueprint

and I picked out every board in it.

Board by board and nail by nail by nail.

And sometimes I'd tear out an entire wall

because I didn't like the way

it was going or...

how fast I was going.

You see, I knew what I faced...

when I finished it.

And that's how I survived.

In my weakest moment...

before I built the house...

I looked down at my hands...

and it came to me.

I remembered my brother, soldiers

and the promise we made each other.

It was fight, f***, or die.

F-F-D.

You asked before what that meant,

well, that's what it means.

That's...

pretty f***ing awesome.

Hi.

Um, Shelby, will you help

Michelle bury the cat?

- Oh, I'll bury her.

- No, no, Shelby, get the shovel.

I'm gonna get these sheets out of here.

- I'm sorry I blew up back there.

- Oh, don't be.

So, I came to say goodbye.

All the pain we feel when alive...

goes away when we die.

I'm looking for the laundry room.

Oh, it's, um,

it's right around the corner.

Oh, you scared me.

Sorry.

F***. My mom would flip out

if she knew about this.

Well, my mom died when I was very young.

I was an orphan.

I'm sorry.

You're very fortunate.

I don't know about that.

Should we say something?

All the pain we feel when alive

disappears when we die.

After what she went through

she's lucky she didn't survive.

Okay.

I'm gonna go check on them.

You know, you're very attached to your

grandfather for not having ever known him.

Look, I know this is tough on you,

all right? It's tough on all of us.

Shelby, get your stuff, we're leaving.

Those are your grandfather's.

- I'm sorry, grandpa.

- It isn't his fault.

- He has a right to hate me.

- He doesn't hate you.

Why don't you come back tomorrow.

He needs his rest now.

I'm sorry you had to see that.

I know it was a bit upsetting.

That's an understatement.

It's just you and me, George.

Are you afraid of me, George?

I'm so happy, George.

I'm so happy.

- I was watching that.

- Look, I know you're pissed off at me

because I'm leaving, but unless I wanna

look for a new job I have to go.

- He's your father. He needs someone here.

- And that's why we hired the nurse.

Well, I guess we're all set. As long as you

don't have to be personally involved.

Okay, that's not fair.

Besides, I'm starting to think

she's a little f***ing weird.

You're the one that wanted to hire her.

What, you want me to fire her now?

I don't know what I want.

Oh, and now you think

that he's like this sweet old man

but he was something entirely different

to your grandmother and me.

- I wouldn't know.

- He was abusive and he was a drunk.

Again, I wouldn't know.

He came home one night and, uh...

and he was especially wasted.

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