Hoot Page #5

- OK.

- Hi.

Anyhoo, I, uh,

I met Roy the other day...

he got a flat.

I gave him a ride home.

So, when I heard over the radio

that he was in the hospital...

and they couldn't reach

his parents by the phone...

I figured I'd just come by

and see if I could find y'all.

- In the hospital?

- Oh, my God.

- Is he OK?

- Oh, yeah. Sorry.

No, he's...

he, uh, he got bit by a dog.

He's gonna be fine.

That's the word.

So, uh, you a police officer,

Mr. Eberhardt?

I'm with the Department of Justice.

Where's Roy at?

Oh, right. Sorry.

He's um...

he's over in the hospital

on Eighth Street.

Honey!

So, wow.

Department of Justice.

We oughta get together

and swap stories sometime.

I'd, uh, take you over there myself,

but I'm in this...

this, uh, smallish vehicle, and you'II...

probably get there before me.

Let's go.

Anyways.

I'm in... this thing.

This... this...

Tell me again what happened,

from the beginning.

All right.

A dog the size of a Buick

attacked Roy at soccer practice.

He came home all chewed up...

so we brought him here

as fast as we could.

It's true!

N-no, I believe your brother

was attacked by a dog...

I just don't believe

that it happened today.

Judging by how far

the infection has progressed...

I'd estimate he was bitten...

eighteen to twenty-four hours ago?

Yeah. Eighteen hours,

that sounds about right.

Because he, um...

he, uh, right, he passed out

right after he got bit.

It wasn't until the next day

that Beatrice called me and asked me...

if I'd help get him to a hospital.

I see. And...

where are your parents?

- Their parents...

- Well...

Their parents, they, uh,

they work on a crab boat.

And you are?

Uh...

- Ling Ho.

- Uh. OK.

Here's what's going to happen.

I'm going to go attend to Roy.

And then the three of us

are gonna sit down...

and somebody's gonna

start telling me the truth.

OK?

Ling Ho?

Ling Ho?

You couldn't come up with anything

better than Ling Ho?

Uh...

This is not gonna work, cowgirl.

Once they figure out

that Mullet's not you...

they're gonna put him in juvey...

or Lana's gonna

ship him off somewhere...

where he can't run away.

Don't worry.

We'll come up with something.

I bet you will, cowgirl.

But I gotta go.

But wait... wait.

Where are you going?

To fix dinner for my dad.

I do it every night.

I'll be back in an hour.

I promise.

You're kidding, right?

Hey! Come on!

Get that tin can outta the road!

We tried to get a hold of you,

but his friend said you were out at sea.

That you work on a crab boat.

What?

Anyway, he was bitten by a dog,

so we've got him on an antibiotic drip.

With a little rest, he should be just fine.

Where's Roy?

I just...

I mean, I really...

Ahh.

I don't know.

You don't know? One minute there's

an injured boy in this bed...

the next minute, he just vanished?

And how can you lose the one

and only patient that you have?

Mom! Dad!

I'm right here.

Oh, honey!

Are you OK?

- Yeah, I'm fine.

- Roy, get back in the bed.

Let's get a look at those dog bites.

Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!

Everybody, hold on a minute.

This is not Roy.

No, of course it is.

Guys, I didn't get bit.

It wasn't me.

Ahh. Excuse me, folks,

but we still have a patient missing.

Can someone please explain to me

what's going on here?

I think only one person can do that.

Roy. Who was in that bed,

and where did he go?

And I wanna know now.

I don't know his real name,

and I don't know where he went.

I'm sorry.

But that's the truth.

Let me explain. All he was

trying to do was save the owls.

If the Mother Paula's

people bulldoze that lot...

they'll bury all the dens.

Owls'll be gone.

Roy, it's their property.

But it doesn't mean that it's right, Dad.

Those owls can't

fight for themselves.

Somebody's gotta stick up for them.

That's all he was trying to do.

Ahh.

You're just getting settled here, Roy.

Why you wanna get mixed up in all this?

I wasn't looking for it.

It just happened.

What just happened?

Some pirate kid hassling

a construction site?

I didn't do anything

to that construction site.

I'm not finished.

Roy, you broke a kid's nose.

You got... you got, uh,

suspended from the school bus.

Today a police officer

shows up at our house.

What's going on with you?

You've always had such good judgment.

Where is it?

Where is it?

Room service.

- Here.

- Oh.

Thanks.

Um, how's your arm?

Eh, fever's gone, but I ache all over.

Get in trouble last night?

No big deal.

But I had to tell my dad...

about the owls and Mother Paula's.

What'd he say?

He said they can build

whatever they want...

as long as they have legal papers.

There's really nothing we can do.

We?

You know what I mean.

You're saying it's a lost cause, right?

Hey, come on, Tex.

You gotta start thinking like an outlaw.

I'm not an outlaw.

Yeah, you are.

Last night at the hospital.

That was definitely an outlaw move.

You were hurt.

You crossed the line, 'cause you cared

about what happened to me.

Hey. Come on.

I got something

really cool to show you.

Ever since I was little,

I've been watching this place disappear.

The piney woods, the mangroves,

the creeks, the glades.

Even the beaches.

And they put up these giant hotels

and only goober tourists are allowed.

It really sucks.

The same thing's

happening everywhere.

Wait, they got mountains

where you're from, right?

Yeah. Miles and miles of 'em.

See, that's what we need here.

I mean, this state's so flat,

there's nothing to stop 'em...

from bulldozing from one coast to another.

Except for you.

Yeah.

Except for me.

Cool. Watch this.

Whoo-hoo!

Take a peek.

What is it?

It's a mullet.

See, that's why my sister

calls me Mullet Fingers.

Ain't too many people

who can do that, you know?

Bye, little guy.

Swim fast.

# I come from where

the rivers meet the sea #

# That's why I think

I'm so wild and fancy free #

# I was early into crazy ways #

# My folks said, it's just a phase #

# They were hoping for better days #

# Now in my line of work #

# I seem to see

a lot more than most #

# I write 'em down

and I pass 'em around #

# It's the gospel from the coast #

# Reflections, not just replays #

# Takin' time to escape the maze #

What is that?

# Lookin' for better days #

# Looking to the left #

# Looking to the right #

# Looking to the stars

to shed some light #

# Hoping for a breath #

# Hoping for break #

# Hopin' for the give without the take #

Now...

You gotta bite this.

- Bite it.

- I got it.

Oh! Look at all that!

# Pale invaders

and tanned crusaders #

It's huge.

# Are worshipping the sun #

# On the corner of

Walk and Don't Walk #

# Somewhere down U.S. One #

# Back to livin' Floridays #

# Blue skies and ultraviolet rays #

# Lookin' for better days #

# I'm back to livin' Floridays #

# Blue skies and ultraviolet rays #

# We're lookin' for better days #

Seeing all the wildlife

with Mullet Fingers...

made me want to swing by

and try to get another look at the owls.

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