(tugboat whistles)
(seagulls screeching)
(puppies whimpering)
Look at those feet.
Does that mean...
Yeah, he's going to be a big one.
Wow. What do you say?
Thank you.
Thanks, Sam. You take good care of him.
Bring him back in a couple of weeks for vaccinations, okay?
Hi, Lydia. Hi.
Bye now.
Bye-bye. Thanks.
Which one did she take?
The floppy-eared one.
How're you doing? I know.
Good. Almost finished.
Want to go see the Taj Mahal?
I'll go anywhere with you, baby.
Oh, you picked my favorite one.
If I might be so bold, I called him Bentley.
Get out of there.
All right. All right.
How am I supposed to know when my next appointment is?
Oh, it's in a half an hour,
but it's Elmer.
If he's on time, I'll do cartwheels.
I'd like to see that.
No, you wouldn't.
(hammering)
(saw buzzing)
I thought they'd be further along.
We've had a lot of rain.
Hey, Sam.
Lyddie.
Hi. What's up?
Came to take a look.
What do you think?
Nice hole.
Well, we've had a lot of rain.
That's what I said.
Can't dig in the rain.
You guys in a hurry?
You want to fill this house up with some babies?
Yup.
Someday.
We get some good weather, we'll be fine.
Sure.
I've got the Turleys' sheep,
and then a checkup on Joe's pregnant cow.
Okay. Call me when you're headed home. Bye.
Hi, Sam. Hi.
How's your dog doing, Brad?
He's looking good, Doc.
Dermatitis is practically all gone.
Yeah, but he's got a rash of his own. Show him.
He wants to use the dog medicine.
I wouldn't do that.
I told him that.
Why? Won't it work?
Not unless you want to wake up one morning
barking like a dog.
That would be an improvement.
Wouldn't it?
See ya.
Hey, kid!
Get over here and help me.
Hurry!
Come here!
Come on!
Get up here! Ooh!
(playfully grunting)
(laughing)
Tetracycline.
Campbell's hound lacerated his paw.
Did you find it?
No.
Where is it?
Tiny hairline fracture, right above the joint.
Hmm.
You don't need reading glasses, do you?
No.
Just wondering.
Hi.
Hey. What's up?
Oh, just passing by.
I thought I'd stop in.
Busy?
Yeah.
Don't mean to interrupt.
I saw her.
How come you didn't tell me?
I was on a call.
I saw her, too. Down at the gas station.
Hi, Ross.
Need some help?
Elmer just showed up
and I've got the Campbell dog.
Elmer's appointment was yesterday.
That's Elmer.
All right. You take him, would you?
I'll take the Campbell dog.
What brings you here?
He needs a distemper shot.
She asked about you.
I'll catch up with her.
Trooper!
Look what I found.
What is it?
What do you mean, "What is it?"
A drum set, doofus.
Whose are they?
They belonged to an old friend of mine.
What was his name?
Ben.
He asked me to keep them for him,
because he didn't have room.
Can I play them?
Can I play them really loud?
Yeah...
Just do me a favor
and wait till I get downstairs.
Let 'er rip!
So what'd you think?
About what?
The movie.
Oh, I liked it.
You did not.
Why do you say that?
You kept looking at your watch.
I guess I did, didn't I.
Sam, where are you?
I'm right here.
That ought to do it, Walter.
Just give it a week or so.
I can't pay you till next week, Sam.
Don't look at me. We know where you live.
Your 3:30 cancelled.
I guess I'll run out to Joe's, check on that cow.
Weren't you just there yesterday?
Yeah.
She's very close.
You're acting like an expectant father.
Are you going to hand out cigars?
(ball bouncing)
Hi.
Your mom around? No.
She went to the store.
My name's Sam.
I'm an old friend of your mother's.
I used to live next door.
This was my house, right here.
That was my room, right there.
I see you're quite the basketball player.
Mm.
(grunts)
How about that?
Well...
I'll just...
I'll come around another time.
ROSEMARY: Okay, Joe.
I'll tell him.
Okay.
Okay!
Where's Sam?
Oh, I don't know.
He said he was going to check on Joe Lieber's cow.
Maybe she's already had her calf.
Well, she did.
But Sam wasn't there.
Where'd you go?
Well, I had to go check on Joe's cow.
Joe called.
The cow had her calf.
He said you weren't there.
Ah, I didn't make it, so...
How come?
Is Sam back?
Oh, Sam, someone wants to see you.
Right.
I think we've solved the mystery.
That dog's cute.
Hi, Sam.
Kind of expected a bigger hello.
I'm... surprised to see you.
Trooper, is this the guy who stopped by?
Mm-hmm.
Well, I-I heard that you were in town.
I'm just...
surprised.
So, you already met my son, Trooper.
No, not officially.
I'm Sam. Hi.
Dude, what do you do when somebody
offers you their hand?
And what else?
Nice to meet you.
Nice to meet you, too.
I told Troop that you were a veterinarian,
and he wanted to come by right away
'cause he loves animals.
Is that right?
Well...
I might know a puppy who needs a home.
I don't suppose you'd be interested?
Please, Mom?
Mmm, well... Come on.
you have to take care of him.
I will. Come on.
All right.
Just wait right here.
Do you even know how to take care of a dog?
What are you gonna do?
Made a deal.
A gummy bear!
You want another?
Okay.
I'm Rosemary. Trooper.
Ah.
Oh...
Sam. Oh.
Hey... oh...
(Rosemary and Trooper laugh)
TROOPER: What's his name?
No, it's up to you.
Thanks, Sam-- I think. Just be good to him-- bring him back here
whenever he needs anything; it'll be on the house.
(laughs): I'll take good care of him. Hey!
Oh, come on. Oh...
Good girl.
SAM: Hi, Alice.
Go ahead and take her on back to number two.
I'll be there in a minute.
Yes, I... Alice?
It's me, Dee Dee.
Dee Dee Michaud?
Yeah. And this is my son, Trooper.
Well, hello, Trooper.
Why, my goodness, I haven't seen you since...
Yeah. About 13 years.
Are you just visiting?
No. I'm here to stay.
Well... good for you.
Sam, I-I can see that you're busy--
we'll catch up later?
Okay. Okay.
(quietly): Trooper!
Thanks for the puppy. You're welcome.
Bye, Rosemary. Good-bye.
SAM: Give him a good home.
I will.
(crickets chirping)
LYDIA: Why didn't you just tell me the truth at the office?
I didn't want Rosemary gossiping.
About what?
About Dee Dee.
What about Dee Dee?
(groans): Oh, just... nothing.
You were worried she'd gossip about nothing?
We were friends.
We grew up together-- I mean, I've known
the girl since I was three years old.
She and Ross and I hung out.
I mean, she was fun.
Fun?
We were just friends, okay? (laughs)
People gossip about friends here.
It's a small town, Lydia.
What do you know about small towns--
you grew up in Boston. Oh, I don't know, Sam,
why don't you tell me what it's like to grow up
in a small town.
Tell me about your "friend." What do you mean?
I don't know. What's she like?
She was a free spirit.
'Kay? Everybody in town knew her.
Me, I was this shy little kid afraid of his own shadow.
Once there was this kid who was...
sort of the neighborhood bully, he stole my baseball cards.
Now, I pretended that it didn't matter,
but it mattered to Dee Dee.
She found him, she beat him up,
and she got 'em all back for me. Oh, that was nice of her.
But you know what, she didn't even care
about what people thought about her.
In the ninth grade,
she gets caught smoking in the school bathroom.
The principal
takes her into his office.
Before he can even get a word in,
she offers him a cigarette.
Mm-hmm.
Anyway...
on graduation day, she ran off
with Bobby Langford.
Could you pass me the olive oil?
Is she the one
you were gonna give your class ring to?
Who told you that?
Ross.
A long time ago.
Yeah. She was the one.
Pass me the pepper?
Not until you tell me.
Nothing to tell.
Try me.
Well, I was planning on giving her my class ring
the night before graduation.
We were standing out on her porch,
and I had it out, I had it in my hand,
and I'm about to give it to her, but before I could say anything,
she pops out with the news that she's going.
Next day, gone.
You never heard from her?
Couple of postcards.
Uh, one.
From some small town in Kansas.
Home of the world's biggest ball of twine.
"Ain't life a hoot?"
That's what it said, nothing more.
How come you never mentioned her?
I didn't think it was that important.
It's just that she was your first crush.
I mean, if my first boyfriend came into town...
Look, I...
I got over it.
I married this woman that I am absolutely crazy about.
Really? What's she like?
Eh, you'd have to know her.
Is she pretty?
Pretty? No.
Movie-star beautiful.
Smart as a whip.
And let's see... terrific veterinarian.
Did I mention that?
Loved by people and pets alike.
I think we should ask them to dinner.
Really?
You got to know the competition.
Oops.
Hi! Hey, Dee Dee, Trooper.
Lydia. Nice to meet you.
Hi. Nice to meet you, too. This is Trooper.
Hi, Trooper.
Hi.
(tsks)
Hi. It is really nice
to meet you.
Well, come on inside.
This is for you.
Oh. Thank you. Should I open it now?
Sure. Okay.
(Lydia chuckles)
Oh, they're lovely.
(laughs): I'm glad you like them.
I made them.
Uh, they're beautiful. (laughs)
We can use them tonight at dinner.
I'm still working in the kitchen.
Oh, good. Let me help you.
What are you making? Nothing fancy.
Some roasted chicken, mash potatoes, carrots.
Nut?
Okay.
LYDIA: Oh, I love candlelight dinners.
Mmm, me, too.
Maybe you'll be a customer.
A customer?
I'm gonna open up a candle shop.
Here? Is that a bad idea?
Well, no... it's not a bad idea.
(chuckles): But...?
He's such a terrible liar.
He's learning.
Well, I just... wonder if it's, uh,
if the town is large enough for a...
a candle store. Yeah, I thought of that, but...
I figure if I offer candle-making lessons, you know.
What do you think Lydia?
Oh, I-I think you'll just have to try it and see.
Well, would you be interested?
Me? I don't have that much free time.
So, how did you get interested
in candle-making?
Oh, you know, it started as a hobby, but then
I had to make a living.
And, uh... I guess I just love what candles symbolize.
Which is what?
Home.
I guess hopes
and dreams and wishes.
People light candles in church.
They use them for prayer.
Dude,
you can't just eat before everybody starts.
No, it's okay. It's okay.
Dig in.
(clears throat)
So, Trooper...
how'd you get the nickname "Trooper"?
It's not a nickname.
It's my real name. We've traveled around
so much, we're like a small theater troupe.
So you spell it with a "U"?
Hmm? T-R-O-U-P-E-R.
No...
T-R-O-O-P-E-R.
I gave him the name,
so I figure he can spell it however he wants.
Well, not really.
Oh. Yeah, that's right, because last year you wanted to spell it
with three O's. (laughs)
Troop, weren't you gonna ask Sam something?
Oh, yeah.
Uh...
do you have lots of animals downstairs?
We sure do.
Can I see 'em?
Sam, why don't you take Trooper down and show him our zoo.
Good.
All right, come on, Troop.
Can I call you Troop? If you want to.
Everybody calls me Sam.
He's a nice boy.
Yeah.
He reminds me of Sam.
Shy at first, but there's a lot going on underneath.
I understand you're living in your childhood home.
Yeah. Lots of memories there.
(chuckles)
What brings you back after all this time
My mom died, and the house
was just sitting there.
But mostly for Trooper-- I keep boring him
with all my stories of how great it was to grow up here.
How'd you and Sam meet?
Oh, at Cornell, in vet school.
He always wanted to be a vet.
I guess you knew him pretty well.
Yeah. Hard not to-- he lived next-door.
We spent every day together.
Especially in the summertime.
So you moved back here after vet school?
I was a city girl pining for country life.
Slower pace,
nicer people.
You must have a lot of friends here.
Yeah, I... I guess I do.
But you married my best one.
Well, this is where we operate.
Is there a lot of blood and stuff?
Sometimes.
How's that puppy doing, by the way?
Oh, he's fine.
What do you call him?
Chewbacca.
Nice name.
How did you come up with that?
He tried to eat my shoelaces.
Are all these yours?
No. They all belong to other people.
Except this little guy.
Actually, this is Chewbacca's brother.
Want to see him?
Sure.
Do you get to play with them?
It's kind of hard to find the time.
Thank you. Dinner was so good.
You're welcome.
Do you want me to walk you guys home?
Nah. We know the way. Don't bother.
Go ahead, Sam.
I'll be right back.
Got it? Yep.
Remember that bike I bought
with berry-picking money?
The one you sold to Jimmy Farrington?
I wish I had it back.
I'd give it to Troop.
What's wrong with the one he has?
Nothing. Just pure nostalgia.
Nostalgia?
Coming from the woman who could not wait to get out of here.
It's funny, isn't it?
Guess it's true you never appreciate
what you have until it's gone.
Hey, Trooper.
This is Cee Jay's-- that place I told you about.
Same old place.
Same old geezers.
Except now I'm one of them.
Where's his dad?
Troop never knew his dad.
He was less than a year old when Bobby left.
Bobby?
Yeah.
Where did he go?
Alaska.
He never really wanted kids.
I can't say that I'm surprised.
Sam, is that a polite way of saying, "I told you so"?
How about you and Lydia?
Any plans for kids in the future?
Kids? Yeah. Someday.
I just want to be sure.
Sure about what?
We're financially secure.
That we're ready.
Time to devote to a family.
You haven't changed a bit, Sam.
I guess not.
I wish I were more like you.
Never thought I'd hear you say that.
Oh, shut up.
I have learned something in the last 13 years.
Last few nights, I can't sleep.
I wake up, I go to my window and look out at your window.
It used to make me so comfortable,
just knowing you were there.
I'm so sorry, Sam.
I'm sorry I fell off the map.
Bobby and I married right away.
Trooper came a year later.
I'm not making excuses, but...
I do really apologize.
No need.
It's kind of hard for Troop, you know,
moving again to a new place.
He's got to make new friends.
He seems like a great kid.
You know, in the meantime,
I could use some help around the clinic.
Someone to feed and look after the animals.
He would love that.
Thank you, Sam.
I... I... I have to make trips
back and forth to Boston...
This is perfect.
What are you doing in Boston?
Oh, I have to pick up supplies.
Umm... Lydia seems great.
Yeah, she is great.
I guess I got lucky.
I hope you don't mind.
No, it's fine.
It'll be good for him.
And good practice for you.
You okay about tonight?
Yeah. It wasn't as awkward as I had imagined.
She seems nice enough.
So, you check the brand of the food
with the amounts on the card,
and then you feed them out of the right one.
Okay.
Which one is it?
This one here.
When you're working with a puppy,
sometimes they can be tentative.
You want to try to coax them into a behavior
with a reward-- a treat--
like this, so we want
to have him come down the stairs,
but keep your hand here so they don't fall.
Come on, sweetness.
Can I play with them after I feed them?
Oh, I'd say that's a big part of the job.
Really? Uh-huh.
You got to feed them first. Here.
Wait, no. Hey. No.
Reach right in. They're not going to come out.
There you go.
Come on. Yeah! Okay. There you go.
Do you want to give him the treat?
Yeah. Okay.
Reward him.
Come on. Here you go.
Good job.
What's the dog's name? Jesse.
Hi, Jesse.
Hey, girl.
Perfect, except he's a boy.
Oh. Sorry, Jesse.
Here. Come here.
Oh, good.
Oh, I think he likes you.
He likes me.
He does.
Now, don't be nervous now,
Naomi.
It's just the entire fate of the game.
Oh.
This isn't over.
Better luck next time, sweetheart.
Excuse me.
Go. It's your turn.
How's the house coming?
It's just a hole at the moment.
Rick's as slow as molasses.
Took him a year to do my Uncle Ned's place.
He's careful.
And Ned has a great house.
Oh, and Sam likes careful.
Boy, does he ever. Yeah, well, if you don't push him,
it'll be your retirement home.
Push who? Sam or Rick?
Rick.
Come to think of it, Sam, too.
You better push them both, Lyddie.
What's the hurry?
Funny you should ask.
Hey, Cee Jay, you got anything
to read while we're waiting?
(mock snoring)
Oh! Tell me you weren't
sleeping through that, were you?
Sorry. I missed it.
Oh. You weren't sleeping, were you?
Mom? What?
What are these?
What?
These.
Where did you find them?
In the drawer in the kitchen.
That's Sam.
That's Sam?
He's so serious.
Grr! He's kind of chubby.
Who's this?
Your dad.
Can I keep it?
Sure.
Here. Put these back.
This is 154 degrees in here.
But don't worry.
You can stick your finger in here,
and it kind of feels good.
You won't get hurt.
Umm... Okay.
The key to making candles is you can't hurry.
You have to have patience.
When I use that word with my son,
he rolls his eyes at me,
but I guess that's payback
for all the times I did that to my mom.
Okay. So each of us needs to take a wick.
Thank you.
You want to hold it in the middle and, uh...
just keep it apart
so that it doesn't get stuck together.
Dipping candles are made a pair at a time.
Now, dip the wick into the heated wax.
How long do you leave it in?
Oh, just trust your gut.
It's kind of like
cooking without a recipe.
A recipe?
What's that? (laughter)
So you want to put it in for, like,
I don't know, three seconds,
and then keep it out for about three seconds.
And then we're going to cool them off
for about three minutes.
I know that they look kind of skinny.
Skinny? What's that?
(all laughing)
That's what he said! That's what he said.
Lydia! Hi.
Hi. Hi, Lydia.
I was just passing by. I thought I' d...
Oh, come on in. I'm so glad that you came.
Well... Oh, come on, Lyddie.
This is fun. I'm just not so crafty.
Oh, we all aren't.
So...
when I sell my candles,
I like to put a little message in each box.
If you're going to be using them as gifts,
you might want to do the same.
Like what?
I think
candles help us explore the darkness.
You know?
People used to sit around campfires,
keep the predators away.
I think
firelight... makes us feel safe.
You know? I do.
Can you imagine?
There were, like, a half dozen of us...
all women... gathered...
learning how to make these candles.
It was kind of magical.
Sitting there in that room,
I really did feel a sense of something.
Fire hazard, probably.
I'm serious.
All right. What did you feel?
You know, for as long as I've been in this town,
I've never felt a sense of that
so strongly as I did tonight.
What?
A sense of community.
You know, I really do like her,
much more than I thought I would.
Good.
Tell you the truth, I was a little jealous of her.
No kidding.
You knew?
Oh, please.
I just can't seem to get him to take his pills.
Oh, well, you just hold him like this,
open his jaw, take the pill, and put it back like that.
Lyddie, the Frieden mare is having trouble foaling.
I'm going to take Trooper along.
He up to it?
We'll find out.
Your call, but if he faints or heaves...
Sorry. We have a young helper.
Oh.
Hello, Doc.
Hey, John.
This is my new helper. Meet Trooper.
Hey. Hey.
(soft whinnies)
The foal hasn't dropped into the birth canal.
She could start to lose blood supply soon.
All right, hand me my kit.
Put it right here.
Yeah.
Okay, Sophie, Be a good girl.
This is known as the jugular groove, see?
It's easy to find.
You just trace from the jaw angle down the neck.
I like to go in towards the north.
I press here.
See that?
It increases the blood pressure in the vein.
That'll take effect in a few minutes,
be less dangerous for her--
and for us.
Okay.
The foal is in a good position.
Have both forelegs extended forward,
one a little less so than the other,
with the chin resting on the knees.
Now, if the neck was flexed to either side,
the foal could get his head caught on the way out,
which would be... trouble,
but this one looks fine so far.
The only worry is how long it's taking.
See the tiny little hooves there?
Bottom's downward, towards the mother's feet.
We'd better move things along here
and apply a little traction.
All right.
In my kit is a set of OB chains.
They're shiny, narrow, stainless steel.
Do me a favor and go get them. Go.
(chains rattling)
Sit down.
Since they're looped just above the ankles,
it's not going to hurt when we pull.
All right.
When she pushes, we pull.
Ready?
Pull.
Okay. Stop. Stop.
Okay. Wait
for the contraction.
This is the most difficult part.
Pull!
Good. Good and hard.
Oh. Okay.
All right.
Wow. Wow.
Wow.
(laughing)
Hey, thanks, Doc.
If he isn't up and nursing in an hour,
give me a call. Yeah, I'll do that.
I'll do that.
Hey, that's some little helper you've got here.
Sure is.
Yeah.
Good job.
Thanks. Oh.
Oh. Thank you. Your shirt.
See you, John!
Take care, Doc.
Trooper, right?
Yeah.
I'll see ya.
You did a good job.
I was a little scared.
Nothing wrong with being scared.
You hung in there.
Come on.
Sam?
Yeah?
Did you know my dad?
Your dad?
Yeah.
Oh, I didn't know him really well.
He was only in town for a year.
What was he like?
Well, let's see.
He was a cool guy.
I could say that.
My mom says he was a dreamer.
You could say that.
He left us to go to Alaska.
Dreamers have to follow their hearts.
They sure do.
Come on.
The kid thinks he's some sort of romantic hero.
I couldn't even believe what I was hearing.
A dreamer?
Come on.
The guy was a lowlife who abandoned them.
Maybe you were just a little jealous of him, Sam.
Lyddie, the guy spent
half the year he was here working on his car,
the other half dealing pot.
How do you romanticize that?
What if she's just protecting her son?
By lying to him?
If he were your son, what would you say?
I don't know.
Well, looky!
Hey, Cee Jay.
How you doing?
I heard you were back in town.
Yeah. You want to check my ID for old times' sake?
Darling, you never had an ID.
That's how come I used to throw you out of here.
Nice to have you back.
It's nice to be here-- legally.
Hey. Hey, we were wondering
if you were going to show up.
Yeah, I know. I had to drive to Boston
to pick up supplies for the candle business.
Oh! Candlemania sweeps the town.
I know.
Even Rosemary joined the group.
Oh, no. Where will it end?
Maybe it won't.
Everything ends.
Hey, Cee Jay, can we get another glass?
You know what?
We have three-fourths of the band here.
What band?
Sam's band. Oh, it wasn't
my band, it was Dee Dee's.
I didn't know you had a band.
I didn't.
I wouldn't have even been in the band
if Dee Dee hadn't of browbeaten
the others into taking me.
What did you play?
Guitar.
If you call that playing.
I don't.
Come on, Sam.
People liked you. Because you did.
If Ben and Ross and I would have
started the band on our own,
it would have lasted five minutes.
Hey, I was good.
Yeah. You were awful.
Dee Dee, she was, was good.
When did Ben move?
Um... a couple of years ago.
I think he went up to Dallas. Yeah.
Do you still sing, Dee Dee?
Yeah.
It drives Trooper crazy.
So. How about a song?
Yeah. Oh, we don't have Ben.
Unless you want to do Ben's part.
Are you kidding?
(Sam laughing)
Sam, you never sang for me.
Profoundly good reason.
♪ People say I'm the life of the party ♪
♪ 'Cause I tell a joke or two ♪
♪ Although I might be laughing loud and hearty ♪
♪ Deep inside I'm blue ♪
♪ So take a good look at my face ♪
♪ You see my smile looks out of place ♪
♪ If you look closer, it's easy to trace ♪
♪ The tracks of my tears... ♪
(drumming)
Hey, kid!
It's too late for drums.
Go to bed.
Guess what I did today?
What's that?
I delivered a horse.
All by yourself?
No, not by myself, but I helped.
Yeah?
It was so cool!
And guess what else?
Sam...
he said my dad was a really cool guy.
Oh.
Yeah.
Yeah, really cool.
Just like you,
Mr. Horse Doctor.
Now go to sleep!
(smooching, giggling)
I love you, Mom.
I love you, too, baby.
Here's your friend.
'Night.
Good night, angel.
See you in the morning.
Hey, let's go to sleep, okay?
(sobbing)
Guys, give me a hand with the wall?
Let's get it up.
Would you like some coffee, sir?
Good. Okay, slide it.
Looks good, Rick.
When do you think the framing will be finished?
It's hard to say.
Can you give us a guess?
Well... That's good.
Not really.
Well, by fall?
Early fall or late fall?
Any fall.
Depends, really.
Well, if we get into the winter
and the house isn't finished...
Yeah, it could happen.
Wouldn't that hurt the house?
Not really. Why?
I'd just prefer it if it didn't fall down in a heap.
Picky, picky.
Hey, Doc.
How's that colt doing?
Oh, fit and fine, like last week.
Not used to seeing so much of you.
Thank my assistant for that.
Oh...
What's his name?
I don't have one yet.
Got any ideas?
Solitaire.
Huh. Pretty good.
How come you picked that one?
(whinnies)
He doesn't have anyone to play with.
Well, then that's what we'll call him.
Solitaire.
Quick, quick, quick!
Mom, it's my fault. Look at him!
No, it's not, sweetheart.
I should have been there!
Honey, it's okay. Come on.
Come on. They'll fix him right up.
(sobbing)
Cody got hit by a car.
Oh, my. Here, bring him on back. Sam!
What does it look like?
Crushed lumbar vertebra.
Spinal cord damage looks irreversible.
Abdomen's full of fluid, probably a ruptured spleen.
Maybe I'll take Amber outside while you talk to Val.
Okay.
(Amber sobbing)
Do you want to go come outside with me?
Hi. Hi.
Want to go over the X rays?
No, that's okay.
It looks bad, Val.
Is there anything we can do?
Well... we could try to save him, but it'll be painful
and I can't give you any guarantees.
What would you do if he were yours, Sam?
I think I'd let Cody go.
Okay.
I'm going to talk to Amber.
Sure.
I'll let her come and say good-bye.
You're just going to let him die?
Well, I'd do anything if I could save him,
but he's been hurt pretty badly
and he's in a lot of pain.
I don't think we should let him suffer like that.
Troop, where are you going?
(doorbell chimes)
Hi. Hey.
Is Troop home?
Yeah, he's upstairs.
Can I speak with him?
I want to explain something to him.
I already talked to him.
He's pretty upset. Come on in.
It isn't just about the puppy, Sam.
What is it?
You know, I've been
making trips back and forth to Boston.
Hm-hmm.
It's not to pick up supplies.
I've been going to a hospital.
What for?
Cancer. Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.
I'm dying, Sam.
It's widespread.
It's in my lymph nodes, bone marrow,
liver.
You must have had treatment.
Yeah.
It's just a matter of time.
How much time?
I was hoping to make it to Troop's 12th birthday,
but it's moving too fast.
Does he know?
More or less.
But he's hoping.
I haven't told him the latest.
Sorry. It's really why I came home.
So you can die here?
No, I want Trooper to live here.
I need to find him
a place, a family.
I had this crazy idea.
I built this place up in my mind, you know?
It seemed so magical to me
and I thought all I had to do was come home.
Clearly, I haven't learned a thing
'cause when I was 18 I thought everything outside
of this town was magical, and I just had to leave.
How about his dad?
Oh, come on. You've never liked him.
You were right.
He got into drugs and dealing,
and it only got worse as time went on.
After Troop was born, he took off for Alaska.
Said he had to get work.
He, um, got busted and did two years.
Then when he got out, he went right back to it.
He got himself killed, and I never found out how.
I chose so badly, Sam,
not just for myself, but for Troop.
Aw, Dee Dee.
I'm so sorry.
I know.
I know you are.
I need your help, Sam.
I have no one else.
Anything.
I need you to help me find a place for Troop.
Please?
I just sat there with this stupid look on my face.
I felt like such an idiot.
But I didn't know what to say.
What are you going to do?
I don't know.
Look for somebody, I guess.
But who?
I thought of John Frieden.
John Frieden?
Yeah. He likes Trooper. He's got horses...
He's over 60 years old.
50-something. And Trooper would love being on a farm.
What does he know about raising boys these days?
They raised two kids.
That was over ten years ago.
His kids are married.
They have families of their own.
You think he's forgotten how?
No, but raising kids these days
is a lot different than it was then.
It was just a thought.
Sam?
Mm?
I was thinking last night.
Yeah? So was I.
About what?
Going over the names of everyone I know.
We could take him.
No, we couldn't.
Why not?
It wouldn't work, Lyddie.
Where we going to put him?
We're building a house.
She doesn't think she's going to make it that long.
We have a spare room. We can fix it up.
It's not a practical idea.
Why not?
Because we're not set up for it.
We both work. Who's going to look after him?
You have to make plans for things like this.
It takes time. Oh, come on, Sam.
I don't think this decision is about being practical.
We've thought about this for one night, okay?
It's a huge responsibility.
We've thought about having kids for a long time.
What about Val? I think Val's a good idea.
Her husband's out of work.
I don't think she can.
Well, then there's the Grubers.
There's, there's lots of people.
Why don't we just see how she does?
Maybe she's wrong.
She could live for another year.
She could live for two years.
In the meantime, I've got to go
inoculate the Holden pigs, okay?
We'll find somebody.
Hi, Trooper.
Hey. Is Sam here?
He'll be back soon.
Lydia,
I'm sorry I ran off like that.
It wasn't very professional of me.
Well, you know,
I could use some professional help with this fellow.
You want to hold him? Hold him by the collar.
Okay.
Give him some comfort.
Sunny's having his operation, huh?
Yup.
Is he going to be okay?
He'll be great.
That's good. I was worried.
You ever think of having more kids?
Beyond the two little hellions
we're raising now, you mean?
Yeah.
Why do you ask?
Just wondering.
You been talking to Naomi?
No. About what?
Lydia been talking to Naomi?
Not that I know of. Why?
Naomi's pregnant.
Congratulations.
(laughs) Thanks,
but I don't know how we're going to do it.
We're barely making it now on two teachers' salaries.
Yeah, it's not easy.
You and Lydia thinking of...?
No. Not yet.
You still remember how?
It'll come back to me.
Sam, come on. What'd you ask me for?
For Dee Dee.
(thunder crashes)
Sorry I'm late.
Oh, you're never too late.
We were just going to start to read our messages
we're putting into our gift boxes, right?
Rosemary, do you want to go first?
Oh, sure, it's always me.
Oh, this is for my brother-in-law Jack,
who is a real... pill.
Well, he is.
"Jack be nimble,
"Jack be quick,
"Jack jump over the candlestick.
"But don't burn your rear
"or you will see
exactly the pain you are to me."
(laughing)
Not exactly what I had in mind, but it works.
You don't know Jack.
(siren wailing)
(phone ringing)
Don't get excited.
Remember last week when the cat, like,
went through an alarm and went all over the place.
It happens all the time. Constantly.
Doc... it's your new house.
Come on, Dennis,
I'll give you a ride... ALL: Oh no!
I'm so sorry, Lydia.
It's just the framing.
It's not even a house, yet.
It's a dream.
Maybe we can dream it again.
RICK: I kept the generator going to run the pump.
I was afraid it was going to flood.
It must have been an electrical short.
I'm sorry.
LYDIA: It's not your fault, Rick.
It was an accident.
When can we start rebuilding?
RICK: I'll have to clean this mess up.
Labor Day is coming soon.
I say we wait until spring.
Once the bad weather starts we're just
going to have to stop.
What do you think, Sam?
(crashing)
Sam?
Talk to me.
I had Rick do the house because he's so... meticulous.
Every nail, every joint, every angle...
just so.
I had him prepare the house for a hurricane.
Did I tell you that?
When was the last time there was
a hurricane around here?
I don't know.
A hundred years?
He was going to truss the gables,
reinforce the garage door,
put a special adhesive on the shingles...
You can't protect against everything.
Not everything.
But everything you can think of.
But you can't think of everything either.
It was a freak accident.
My mother was so afraid of hurricanes.
I don't blame her.
Nah, she was afraid of pretty much everything.
Every time my dad would leave on a sales trip,
he'd make sure we had everything we needed.
Check the tires, check the house,
the rain gutters, the shutters,
did we have enough firewood,
and on and on and on.
And still, this woman,
she was afraid.
Of what?
Oh, you name it.
I used to hear her walking around the house late at night,
making sure all the windows were locked.
And every time I'd leave the house,
my mother would ask me if I had enough money?
Where are you going?
Are your socks warm enough?
I used to think I could actually hear...
her worrying.
It got to the point where I didn't even want to leave the house.
It was easier just to stay at home.
If it hadn't been for Dee Dee,
I probably would have never left the yard.
She sounds like she was a good friend to have.
She was more than that.
She was my friend,
my sister...
(sobbing)
Do you...
do you think I'd be a good father?
Sam, yes.
Yes, I do.
Then let's take him.
Are you sure?
(doorbell ringing)
Hi. Hi.
Hey.
Can we come in?
Sure.
What's up?
Where's Troop?
He's upstairs playing with Chewbacca.
We want to take him.
Are you sure?
Yeah.
When the time comes.
We're still hoping it won't.
I don't know what to say.
You don't have to say anything.
I couldn't have even hoped for this.
Oh, Sam, I'm so proud of you.
Oh, we're both crazy about him.
That's great, but that's not why I'm proud of you.
Okay, why are you proud of me?
Because you married well.
I want to have a party.
A big one.
A party?
Might be my last chance.
Hey, Trooper, can I come in?
Uh-huh.
Did you have fun
with Rosemary today?
Mm-hmm.
Want to snuggle?
Remember how we always said we'd hope
for the best when I got sick?
Yeah.
Well, sometimes the best doesn't happen.
And then, we have to make other plans.
We have to make the best of things as they are.
So, it looks like the best isn't going to happen.
And if I'm not going to be around...
...if I'm not going to be around,
we're going to have to find a place for you, Troop.
I don't want to.
I know, baby.
But we got to make the best of things, don't we?
Maybe... maybe my dad will come back.
Oh, Troop.
He, he could.
It's been a very long time.
But he still could, Mom.
But in the meantime,
we have to find a place for you where you'll be safe and happy.
Where people love you.
And they'll take care of you.
You know, Sam and Lydia?
They love you very much.
Do you know that?
I know it.
Do you know how I know it?
'Cause they said that if anything happened to me,
if I didn't get better,
that they'd love to have you live with them.
How would you feel about that?
I don't want to, Mom.
I know, baby.
But as long as we're talking about
making the best of things...
can you think of a place you'd rather be?
Do you like them, Troop?
I like them very much.
In fact, I can't think of anyone I'd rather you be with.
Can you?
Can we still hope?
Hope what?
That you'll get better.
Come here.
Yeah, we can still hope.
I'm still going to hope then.
Me, too.
(indistinct conversations)
Have you been taken care of?
Did you get something?
Oh, you did get something.
Excellent.
Who else? Who else needs their drinks?
DEE DEE: I'm going to sit down.
Yeah, go sit down. Go on.
I'll, I'll fix the table.
I'll keep it going. Go on.
Ladies and gentlemen, for one night only,
we present the return
of...Dee Dee and the Deadbeats.
(cheering)
Dee Dee, would you do us the great honor
of leading us through our theme song?
Oh, Sam.
ROSEMARY: Come on.
I'm sorry. I can't.
(crowd shouting encouragement)
I want to watch you guys. Go.
What's the name of the song?
"You've Got a Friend."
Oh, I know that one...
Well, get up here.
Go get them.
Yay, for me.
And we do have a special guest on the drums tonight...
Mr. Trooper Michaud!
Yay, Trooper!
What key do you guys play in?
What key do you sing it in?
Oh, it doesn't matter.
That sounds fine.
♪ When you're down and troubled ♪
♪ And you need a helping hand ♪
♪ And nothing, nothing, nothing is going right ♪
Come on, girls.
♪ Close your eyes and think of me ♪
♪ And soon I will be there ♪
♪ To brighten up even the darkest night ♪
♪ You just call out my name ♪
♪ And you know wherever I am ♪
♪ I'll come running to see you again ♪
♪ To see you again ♪
♪ Winter, spring, summer or fall ♪
♪ All you have to do is call ♪
♪ And I'll be there ♪
♪ Yeah, yeah, yeah ♪
♪ You've got a friend ♪
♪ Winter, spring, summer or fall ♪
♪ All you have to do is call ♪
♪ And I'll be there ♪
♪ Yeah, yeah, yeah ♪
♪ You've got a friend. ♪
Trooper!
(applause)
Whoa! What is that?
A little welcome home present.
It's huge!
Well, open it!
Open it, Dee Dee! Come on.
Okay,
okay.
You got it? Give her help.
Yeah, you got it, you got it.
Rip that sucker open!
There. There you go.
All right.
(gasps)
Hey...
Look at that.
My bike!
(excited murmuring)
Where did you find it?
Well, I thought Jimmy Farrington had it
but he'd sold it to Marty and Neil Halfon.
Neil thought Marty had it.
Marty thought Neil had it, but they
both forgot that they gave it to their little sister,
and it was in her basement,
collecting cobwebs.
But it looks brand new.
That's just a new seat and some fresh paint.
Troop, this is the bike I rode when I was your age.
It's... it's cool.
Well, sort of.
(laughing)
Excuse me, it's the coolest bike ever.
I'm going to take it on a ride.
Move it. Let me help you.
Move it.
Okay, I got it, I got it.
All right now.
Don't go crazy all at once, you know.
Shut up, you guys.
We'll find a place over here.
I put it into first gear, so, you know...
Okay, yeah, Ross. I've ridden a bike before.
Okay, well, this is just like that.
All right. Thank you.
Okay.
Whoa! Whoa! Go, Dee Dee.
Sam, maybe she shouldn't.
Well, you should know her by now.
(cheering)
Whoo!
(cheering continues)
(squealing)
Hey, Rick.
Hey.
How's the clean up coming?
Ah, it's coming.
I want to start the new construction.
You mean now?
Right away.
Soon as you're finished with the clean up.
I don't know if it makes sense, Sam.
I mean, we'll be caught right in the middle of winter.
Ah, let's take a chance.
We might have decent weather.
What if we don't?
Then we'll shut it down till spring.
But then we'll be left with all this material
just hanging around all winter.
It's not going to hurt it, is it?
Well, I... I suppose not.
What's the hurry?
We're going to fill that house up with kids.
Thanks, Rick.
Is Lyddie pregnant?
No. Not yet.
It takes nine months, you know.
Not always.
Amber's going to take Chewbacca's brother.
Oh, great, Amber. I'm glad.
Are you going to take him today?
Uh-huh.
Trooper, go bring him in.
He'll need a shot. Okay.
Are you going to do it now?
Yep.
Right now.
I'll come back.
Oh, it'll just take a minute.
I hate shots.
I'll... I'll come back tomorrow.
Trooper, put him up here on the table.
Here.
Where's Amber? She didn't want to watch.
Yeah, she's not used to this stuff.
This'll just pinch a little,
okay, puppy?
Ouch.
There we go.
You okay? Hmm?
You okay? He's fine.
Here he is.
There we are.
What do you think?
Getting big. Come on, come on.
You want to feed him? Sure.
Well, grab a hold of that bucket there.
Here we go. Come on around here.
Here we go.
Hey. Here we go.
Yeah, I'm going to have to have somebody
come out and ride him this spring,
so he don't get too frisky.
Don't suppose you know anyone who'd be willing to do that?
I'd ride him
if I knew how.
You would?
Yeah.
If I knew how.
Well, now.
Here you go.
I never would have thought that he would have done that.
Would you, Sam? Never even crossed my mind.
He's awful busy, though.
What with being an assistant veterinarian and all.
Oh, yeah, he probably doesn't even have time.
Not much.
Well, I'd have time,
it's just... I don't really know how.
Oh, yeah. Oh, I forgot that.
Too bad.
Well, of course there's always Sophie.
Yeah, lots of folks learned to ride on Sophie.
Sophie's very gentle. Very gentle.
Sort of like sitting in an easy chair.
Well...
I'll keep looking.
Hey, say, you know,
I just got an idea.
Now if you wanted to come and learn
on Sophie...
Yeah, I would.
Well, how about that, I think we got a deal.
Well, son of a gun, I wish I'd thought of that before.
Well, you come on back any time and we'll
get started. Okay.
Ain't that something?
Never even thought about old Trooper.
♪ The one thing I am certain of ♪
♪ Is time will change each one of us ♪
♪ Before this you're out on your own ♪
♪ So open your voice and be strong ♪
♪ You are not alone ♪
♪ You are what you believe, you are not alone ♪
♪ You're part of everything ♪
♪ When life gets you down, set your soul at ease ♪
♪ You are not alone, you're part of everything ♪
♪ Part of everything ♪
♪You're part of everything ♪ ♪ Part of everything ♪
♪ The cheapest secret is the truth ♪
♪ Until you finally set it loose ♪
♪ Such an unbelievable game ♪
♪ Well, if you got something to say, then let it out ♪
♪ Give us something to talk about ♪
♪ So that you're not on your own ♪
♪ So open your voice and be strong ♪
♪ When life gets you down, set your soul at ease ♪
♪ You are not alone ♪
♪ You're part of everything ♪
♪ You are not alone, you are what you believe ♪
♪ You are not alone, you're part of everything ♪
♪ When life gets you down, set your soul at ease ♪
♪ You are not alone, you're part of... ♪
♪ You're part of everything ♪
♪ You're part of... ♪
♪ You're part of everything. ♪
(song fades)
Okay, ready? All right.
One, two....
Are you okay?
Yeah.
All in? Uh-huh.
Everyone in?
Where are we going?
You'll see.
I bet it's the Labor Day picnic.
Maybe.
Maybe not.
(whispering weakly): What's the big surprise, Sam?
It wouldn't be a surprise if I told you,
now, would it?
(electric saw whirring, hammers pounding)
How about that?
(gasps softly)
Sam, I didn't think that we could...
We took a chance.
We've been working overtime.
I talked the guys into coming in over the holidays.
Thanks, Rick. Okay.
All right, you, walk the plank.
(laughs): Rick.
Thank you so much.
The guys wanted to help-- they're good guys.
Here we have the living room... (laughing)
kitchen...
bedrooms...
family room.
I wanted you to see it.
(whispering): Thank you, Sam.
Well, in case it burns down again.
RICK: We need 16 more four-by-eight sheets
to complete the outside sheathings, so I'll call...
Will this be my room?
It'll be all yours.
Do you want to put a bunk bed in here?
Nah.
A single?
Whatever you want.
I bet you'll be able
to have a really nice view of some stars.
Yeah.
It's a pretty nice view.
Hey.
Hey, Chewie.
Where at? Right there.
Why don't I see about fixing us some supper.
SAM: That'd be great.
Aren't we gonna go to the town picnic?
I don't feel up to it.
Troop, I'm sorry.
Maybe you and I can stop by later.
That's a good idea.
Go into the kitchen and help Lydia.
There's some cold spaghetti in the fridge.
Okay. Okay, go help her.
(groans)
(exhales)
How much of this are you taking?
It's never enough.
You in a lot of pain?
I can manage.
Thank you for today, Sam.
I owe you so much.
Oh, I don't know about that.
I'd say we're pretty even.
And I don't just mean when we were kids.
I mean now, as well.
You keep showing me how to live my life.
You're doing just fine without me.
It's different without you.
You know...
I never told you this.
But that night before you left,
we were sitting out on your porch...
I know.
(laughs)
What?
You were gonna give me your class ring.
(both laugh)
How did you know that?
I just knew. (laughs weakly)
I didn't want to hurt you.
You mean so much to me.
I love you, Sam.
You and Lydia both.
Now, listen.
On that bookshelf, up...
underneath the... basket,
there's a letter-- will you get it for me?
Come here.
I want you to give this to Trooper when you think he's ready.
I wrote him a letter about his dad.
I always thought he should have a dad he could believe in.
He has one now.
(quiet, indistinct chatter)
My gosh.
What's that?
Dee Dee, Sam, you've got to come check this out.
(indistinct chatter continues)
ROSS: There she is!
(all cheering, laughter) Hey!
ROSS: We, uh,
we figured you couldn't make the picnic, uh, Dee Dee,
so, uh, we decided to bring the picnic to you.
OTHERS: ♪You just call out my name ♪ This is so cool.
♪ And you know ♪
♪ Wherever I am ♪
♪ I'll come running ♪
♪ To see you again... ♪
(insects chirping)
(birds call and squawk in distance)
(organ music playing)
(indistinct chatter)
PASTOR: And so, we turn to the Scripture passages just read
and we look to the memory of Dee Dee Michaud's life
for consolation in our sorrow
and for inspiration in our lives.
And now, Dee Dee's son, Trooper, has requested a moment.
When...
When my mom said we were gonna move here...
I didn't really want to...
'cause...
'cause I didn't really know anybody then.
She said...
she said that this town was special,
and she told me lots of stories about it.
But... she said every place we lived was special.
So I didn't really believe her.
But I liked the stories anyways.
Now...
Now I see what she meant.
Wherever I go...
it reminds me of her.
It's like...
It's like she's still here.
(exhales)
I'm glad we came.
I'm glad.
♪ Amazing grace ♪
♪ How sweet the sound ♪
♪ That saved a wretch ♪
♪ Like me ♪
(others joining in): ♪ I once was lost ♪
♪ But now ♪
♪ Am found ♪
♪ Was blind ♪
♪ But now ♪
♪ I see ♪
♪ 'Twas grace ♪
♪ That taught ♪
♪ My heart to fear ♪
♪ And grace my fears relieved ♪
♪ Relieved ♪
♪ How precious did ♪
♪ That grace appear ♪
♪ The hour I first ♪
♪ Believed ♪
♪ Through many dangers ♪
(birds call and squawk) ♪Toils and snares ♪
♪ I have already come ♪
♪ 'Tis grace hath bro't me ♪
♪ Safe thus far ♪
♪ And grace ♪
♪ Will lead me home... ♪