Serving in Silence: The Margarethe Cammermeyer Story Page #2

When Anne had the brain

surgery, I was her nurse.

- Oh, that was in San Francisco.

- I worked down there for a couple of years.

The hospital didn't want to

let Susan room in with her.

I took the position that they were

a couple just like any other couple.

- And I can see you're persuasive.

- I'm persistent.

You can usually get around

the rules if you know how.

You wanna help me with my taxes?

Kidding, Colonel.

Now wait a minute. All

your kids are Mormons?

Louis got converted after our divorce.

So, yeah, all my kids are Mormons.

That's why Matt's in

Norway, my oldest boy.

He's on his mission.

He speaks Norwegian. I

taught all of them Norwegian.

Now, I'm still back on Louis.

Why did he become a Mormon?

He likes structure.

He's remarried.

Are you ever tempted?

To get married again? No.

That's me.

You made some improvements.

Actually, I didn't.

Can I keep it?

All yours.

I can't even draw a stick figure.

That's okay. I can't even

put a band-aid on straight.

Were you ever married?

I had a long relationship.

Even good things come to an end.

She's still my friend.

Friends are hard to come by.

I bet you never come down to LA.

I don't have anything against

LA. I just don't have much reason.

- It's sunny.

- Well, there's that.

My show's opening at the university,

if you think you could play

hooky from your responsibilities.

Never been to an art opening.

They're hard. The trick is

to pretend you like the art.

I don't pretend well.

Why am I not surprised?

Well, I'm brave, you can come anyway.

- You'll take your chances?

- Oh, yeah. I usually do.

Diane, your work is outstanding.

Are you just saying that

because you want an A in class?

- You already gave me an A.

- Oh, my God. I'm sorry.

- But I'll take another one.

- Oh, you.

- No, they're really, really great.

- Thank you, thank you.

- Really.

- Excuse me.

- Oh, God.

- "There's a primal poetry

"in the creation of the image of

a simple object with a such purity

"that it animates the painting

field by the sense of its existence.

"There is a welcome calm and

an authoritative reticence. "

- What...

- Oh, you know what that means.

You have an authoritative

reticence yourself.

Command presence.

Works on dogs, boys and soldiers.

- Diane, I hate to interrupt.

- Hi. You leaving?

- We'll see you at the restaurant, okay?

- Oh, okay. I'll just see you out. Excuse me.

So do you feel like

going out with everybody?

Will your friend be there?

Doubt it. She usually gets up early.

We could go out by

ourselves, if you'd rather.

- No, they're expecting you.

- Oh, they're fine.

Do you want to?

- Yeah.

- Okay.

They were marching right down

this street, right past here.

Not on the sidewalk.

They filled the street.

"Hey, hey, IbJ, how many

kids did you kill today?"

It was wild.

- Did you march?

- No.

I was too busy learning how to paint.

But, you know, I was sympathetic.

- I mean, we all understood...

- We were dying in Vietnam.

That was the whole point.

It was demoralizing.

The dying or the marching?

Are we gonna have an

argument on our first date?

Is that what this is? A date?

It's up to you, Grethe.

- I don't know what I'm doing.

- Yes, you do.

I think you do.

- Morning.

- Hi, I'm making eggs.

- Have you ever made eggs before?

- What do you mean?

I mean, I'm quite a good

cook when I put my mind to it.

No one ever makes scrambled

eggs in a sauce pan.

Are you kidding? It is the only way...

Put that back, go sit down.

I've read how to do this.

Have it your way.

Are you putting cream in there?

They're already cooked.

Okay, I'll shut up.

You are so bossy.

- That's what you like about me.

- I guess I must.

- You're here.

- Well, I sure didn't fall for your uniform.

No, no. I mean, you're

very impressive in it.

- You're easily impressed.

- Not at all.

These are the best scrambled

eggs I've ever tasted.

Thank you.

See, that's how you take a compliment.

I'll try to remember.

Toast.

I wish you didn't have to go back to LA.

- It'd be nice, wouldn't it?

- Yeah.

- I left a message in your office.

- Hi, Jim. You could have beeped me.

- I hate those things.

- What's up?

I need to talk to you.

- Do I have two minutes?

- No rush.

You know when I hired you, Grethe,

I told you you were way

overqualified for the position.

I was grateful for the job.

Seattle's always been a tough market.

I was afraid I wouldn't

be able to keep you.

You knew I had my kids up here.

I hate to see people

underutilizing their abilities.

Are you letting me go?

No, I'm promoting you.

I got enough money in the

budget for a new position.

I want you to be the Neuro

Coordinator of the Seizure Clinic.

I want you to run it. I

mean, why would I fire you?

- You're my best nurse.

- Thank you, Jim.

It comes with a raise

and all that, you know?

- You sound tense.

- No, I don't.

Definitely a little wound up.

I'm just tired, this

research for my thesis.

Then say good night.

I got a letter from my father.

He's coming to live with me.

He's old, but he's not blind,

Diane. He's gonna notice.

Well, do you talk about

everything he does in private?

Sometimes I don't understand

how you think at all.

No, I'm just saying it

doesn't have to come up.

- Do I need pillow cases to go with these?

- I'm not going to pretend.

Yes, you said that all ready. Here.

Maybe I should get him solids.

Why force somebody to hear something

they don't wanna hear, you know?

- Your family knows.

- They do not.

Well, okay, they've probably

figured it out by now,

but we don't talk about it.

There's lots of things I

wouldn't tell my family.

- How about blue?

- No, it's too cold.

- He'll feel right at home.

- Like what kind of thing?

- Am I prying?

- Yes.

White. You can't go wrong with white.

He's only coming for two years.

He works his way around the family.

- So, you want to call me in two years?

- No.

No, I just haven't decided what to do yet.

He has some neurologic problems.

He hasn't been able to manage

by himself since my mother died.

He doesn't need to know, Grethe.

- I need him to know.

- Well, I think that's selfish.

We have a complicated relationship.

Which "we" are you talking

about? You and him, or you and me?

Both.

- You'll probably like each other.

- Yeah, well, I get on with most people.

Well, so do I. My father's the exception.

- Now what? Now what?

- No, okay, okay, you're in drive.

If you want to start the

engine, put it into neutral.

"Dear Far... "

"Dear Father.

"I've met someone

"who has become very important to me. "

Terrible.

"Dear Far... "

- How's it going?

- Fine.

Lousy.

You want some tea?

- I'll make it.

- Okay.

"Dear Far, before you move in with me,

"you need to know that

I've come to understand

"I'm a homosexual.

"I'm perfectly happy,

and I don't need therapy.

"But I can't and won't

hide who I am from you.

"Now, neither one of

us has to be dishonest.

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes