Marvin's Room Page #2

No, no, thanks.

Okay, well, uh, I'll see ya.

Does this count as a visit?

Do you think this counts

as a visit?

Uh. Excuse me. Oh, uh, don't be

surprised if Dr. Wally is late.

He was an 11-month baby.

Can you imagine that?

I, on the other hand,

I... I was premature.

Sorry to have kept you waiting.

I got stuck at the hospital.

Oh, you must be very busy.

I wanted to check on your tests.

I was telling her that I weighed one

pound when I was born. No, you didn't Bob.

I, I was this big.

Oh.

Follow me.

Fo... Not you, Bob.

Follow me.

So, how are we today?

You tell me.

Dr. Wally speaking.

Yes, Bob, I know there's

someone waiting in my office.

I'm in my office.

That's all right.

Yes. Yes.

Is there a problem?

No, no, he's just neq here.

He'll get the hang of it.

No, no, no, no.

I meant with my blood test.

Did it get lost or something?

Because... I really

was getting myself all worked up.

I was thinking all kinds of horrible

thoughts. No, it didn't get lost.

But what I would like to do is...

run some other tests simply to

rule out certain possibilities.

What are the possibilities?

There are a number

I would like to rule out.

Are we still thinking I have a vitamin

deficiency? We may have ruled out that.

Do you think we should? Should we have

ruled that out? No reason to be nervous.

I'm not nervous.

Good!

What I'm gonna do is I'm gonna

give you a local anesthetic...

and I'm going to remove a little

bone marrow from your hip.

What?

I don't mean to be noisy,

but what is the test for?

Why don't you let me

do the worrying for now?

I'm probably thinking it's something

much worse than it actually is.

Is it something serious,

like a brain tumor?

Oh, no.

M. S?

No!

Cancer?

Well, one of the possibilities

I was hoping to rule out is leukemia.

My mother had...

I know.

I saw that in your file.

Hold all my calls, please.

Bessie, I just...

Dr. Wally speaking.

Yes, that was me just then.

Didn't you recognize my voice, Bob?

That's all right.

That's what I get

for hiring my own brother.

I haven't been feeling as badly lately,

haven't been nearly as tired.

Why don't you lie on your side

and face the wall,

and we'll get this over

as soon as we can?

What does it mean

if it is leukemia?

There are a variety

of leukemias...

and a variety of treatments.

If you have, for example,

chronic myelogenous leukemia,

a bone marrow transplant

is a very real option.

We would then test members

of your family for possible donors.

You do have family.

Dad and Ruth.

I thought your file mentioned a sister.

Oh, yes, I do. I...

I have a sister Lee. Yes...

Good.

Oh!

I just had it done last week

and it's driving me crazy!

Do you think God's

punishing me for vanity,

or is it always that way?

Oh, my God! If you have

a permanent done right,

it shouldn't itch you at all!

Convent.

Sister...

Lee Lacker, please.

Sister Lee Lacker, telephone!

Hello?

Hello!

Lee?

Hello?

Hi, it's me... Bessie.

Bessie?

What's wrong?

Mm... hmm.

Uh... huh.

They had reservations

about letting Hank go at all.

A week was all

we could get approval for.

Yeah, but if one of us

is a match, then we gotta...

We'll deal with that then.

Hey

Look at you. You look like a pig.

I'm working on an engine.

So they don't let you shower?

Look, they told me you were here

so I came, all right?

You behaving yourself?

They're not strapping

me down anymore.

Well, don't abuse that privilege.

So. How come

you're visiting me?

What do you mean?

I don't need a reason to visit.

How come you never visited before?

I did. You were unconscious.

How can that be a visit if I didn't even know

you were here? I can't take responsibility...

for when you're conscious or unconscious,

all can do is make the effort.

Your mother has something to tell you

It's not good news.

But Doctor says it's okay to tell you

because, partially, I have no choice.

What?

Your Aunt Bessie down in Florida

has leukemia. She's not doing so well.

There's a possibility

she might die.

I didn't know I had an Aunt Bessie!

She's been to the house.

When?

Right after your dad and I got married.

Mom, I wasn't born yet.

Look, I know I mentioned her to you. She's

my sister! I didn't know you had a sister.

You know how every goddamn

Christmas I say to you,

Looks like Bessie didn't send

a card again this year either?

Oh, yeah.

That's your Aunt Bessie. My sister.

And because we're her nearest relatives,

they want us to get tested...

cause maybe they could save her life

and do a bone marrow transplant or...

It's only for a week.

Doctor says it's okay to go.

Why would want to go?

Because one of us

might save her life.

Go, go, go, get cleaned up. I'm not

gonna take you like that in the car.

Hank, isn't there something you anna

say to your mother before you leave?

But is this gonna take long?

Because we should go.

Mom?

I'm really sorry

I burnt the house down.

Is that it? Because I'm really

anxious now to get on the road.

Oop, no matches.

Mom, I gotta light the thing. Come on.

Charlie, here,

light this for him please.

Being confined to your bed

is nothing to be afraid of.

I'm not confined to my bed.

I'm just... I'm a little tired today.

I was confined to my bed most

of my life. You find things to do.

Like what?

Oh!

Well, uh, you can sleep.

Or you can lay there awake.

Uh... huh.

Ah, do you want any of this?

Oh, no, no, no. You must eat

all of that to make yourself strong.

How's Dad?

Oh, he's fine.

Do you want your orange?

No, no, you can have it.

Well, no,

not if you're going...

Thank you.

Does he miss me?

Well, I haven't actually

told him you're gone.

What? Doesn't he wonder where I am?

Well, I tell him...

you're just in the other room

busy with something.

And then he falls asleep and when he

wakes up I say, he just missed you.

Who does he think

that nurse is living with you?

I pretend not to notice her.

What do you mean?

If she walks in the room

while I'm there,

I pretend she's not real,

that she doesn't exist.

Then what does Dad think?

I think he thinks

he's hallucinating.

Ruth, you have to tell him.

The only time it seems

to bother him...

is when she carries him

to the bath and then I say,

Oh, Marvin, look, you're flying!

Bessie'll wanna see this!

And I run into

the other room to get you.

He must think

he's losing his mind!

What am I supposed

to tell him?

That... that

his little girl is...

Oh, I'm...

Then he'd really think

he was losing his mind.

He'd be so upset.

It would be so upsetting to him.

He's your father

All right, Ruth, all right.

I wouldn't know

what to say.

Here. Here, here.

Just tell him

I'm gonna be fine, Ruth.

I know I am.

See?

That's okay. Sure.

Okay?

What's Grandpa like?

I don't know,

Charlie. It's been a while.

Why haven't we seen him before?

He's been sick. We were in Ohio.

It's hard to travel with little kids.

I don't know.

What's Bessie like?

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