03x14 - A Lesson in Tightropes

[bunniefuu]

♪ Someone once told me th♪ On the other side. r ♪

♪ Well, I paid a visit

♪ While it's possible I missed it ♪

♪ It seemed different yet exactly the same ♪

♪ Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah

♪Till further notice♪

♪ Till further notice

♪I'm in between♪

♪ I'm in between

♪From where I'm standing♪

♪ From where I'm standing

♪ My grass is green.

♪ Someone once told me the grass is much greener ♪

♪ On the other side.

GINGER: Have you ever been struck

by the feeling that something is... wrong?

Nothing in particular, mind you,

nothing that you can quite put your finger on--

just an overwhelming sense

that things in your universe have, well... shifted.

And even if the answer is right there

staring you straight in the eye,

somehow you still don't see it.

Hi.

Hi.

[class bell ringing]

DARREN: Dodie's right.

She deserves the truth.

She deserves it now.

You can't go on misleading her like this.

[sniffles]

ORION: Hey, you hungry?

Wait, just...

Can we try it?

Sure-- should we grab something to eat?

[sternly]: Can we try it, Orion?

Sure, yeah...

Absolutely.

[guitar hums]

[clicking rhythm]

[band begins playing rock tune]

♪ It's kind of sad, really

♪ Guess I'm the sort who'll linger ♪

♪ When the credits roll, I still can't leave a picture ♪

♪ The picture I hold in my heart. ♪

♪ It makes me mad, really

♪ Wish I could blame a twister

♪ Or a hurricane, or my pesky sister ♪

♪ Wish I could blame away this feeling in my heart. ♪

[music stops]

What's up?

Got company.

We need to talk.

I'm really glad you said we needed to talk.

I've been wanting to talk to you, too, really.

Ginger, I...

Now, I know what you're going to say.

Things between us haven't been quite right--

you busy with football and me caught up

with the band, but...Ginger!

I've been giving it a lot of thought.

We have to work a little harder at it.

Ginger, it's over.

W-what?

Us...

we're over.

There's someone else.

Simone.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Don't do this!

Darren, don't.

Ginger, we...

I can try harder.

I won't miss a game-- I'll be there

in the stands cheering you on.

You'll be miserable-- both of us will--

it's not who are.

WhoamI?

You're Ginger Foutley,

and you're opinionated

and headstrong and wonderful,

and you think football is stupid,

and you're probably right,

and we fight all the time

and things with Simone are just, well... easier.

Sorry, Ginger--

really sorry--

and I hope one day you can forgive me for this.

But I won't, Darren.

[tearfully]: The thing is... I never will.

HOODSEY: "Clifford kissed her tawny, round shoulders.

"'Oh, Clifford,' Beth murmured in his ear."

Wow, he made Beth murmur.

So what, Hoods? Give a break, okay?

"Her tawny, round shoulders."

It's, like, what other shape do shoulders come in?

And isn't "Clifford"

the name of a dog?

[doorbell rings]

Bet you couldn't make a girl murmur.

[leaves rustling in wind]

I need to talk to Dodie.

[giggling]

"Why, thank you, Jacob.

"I have to admit, I have had boys compliment my eyes before

but none quite so eloquently as you."

[giggles]

[starts]

I told her.

I told her everything.

Told who?

Ginger!

You told her about Simone?

I told her everything, Dodie.

I broke up with her.

I broke up with Ginger.

Well, now what?

Well, luckily

I just read an article about this

inTeen Queenmagazine.

You can expect bitterness,

resentment, gradual acceptance,

and then hopefully she'll move on.

Well, that's it?

What about now? What about right now?

There's nothing we can do, Darren.

We just have to give her time to adjust.

Eventually, she'll be okay.

But she didn't look okay, Dodie.

She didn't look okay at all.

[softly]: I feel like my insides exploded.

First heartbreak is always the worst.

Well, that's what it said inTeen Queen.

Perhaps if you found

an outlet for your pain.

I'm thinking kung fu

or something martial arts-related.

[Ginger groans]

Maybe some alone time?

[crickets chirping]

Hey, kiddo.

I heard from the girls about what happened.

Feel like talking?

Ging?

Sweetie?

Are you okay?

You're burning up.

Dave!

Get it here, stat!

Can you talk to me, Ginger?

Can you speak?

Dave, get in here, now!

What is it?

I don't know.

She can't speak and she's running a temp.

Is she going to be okay?

Of course she is.

[phone dialing]

This is Dr. Dave

with Sheltered Shrubs Hospital.

I'm at a residential location.

We'll need an ambulance dispatched right away.

This is a medical emergency.

JoANN: If they're calling for bouillon, can I use

just plain old broth?

Okay by me.

Another thing:

What's "tawny" mean anyway?

I think it's just a fancy way

of saying "tan."

Hush-- if my mother finds out

we've been in her romance novels, she'll...

"Scrape the cavity clean

"and stuff mixture into the gaping hole.

Stud with pimentos and allow to stew in own juices."

Hmm.

Sounds delish.

Are you sure

your mother isn't expecting you, Carl?

Maybe she is.

I'd better call.

[siren blares outside]

Her pressure's low, there's fever

and from the way she's holding herself,

I'm guessing abdominal pain--

lower right side.

Are you thinking...

Ruptured appendix--

the symptoms are consistent.

Let's get some imaging.

Ginger, listen to me.

You're in the best possible hands-- mine.

I'm not going to let anything happen to you.

Do you understand?

There, there, Lois.

I'm going to prep for surgery.

Everything's, uh...

everything's going to be fine.

You'll feel a lot better when you wake up, Pumpkin.

My dad used to call me that.

DAVE: I don't like the looks of it.

There's an abscess formed around the rupture.

There's some significant blood loss here.

Let's confirm her blood type.

We need suction.

She's hemorrhaging.

[reprise of rock song begins playing]

GINGER: ♪It's kind of sad, really♪

♪Guess I'm the sort who'll linger♪

♪When the credits roll, I still can't leave a picture♪

♪The picture I hold in my heart.♪

♪ ♪

♪There's a road that's left to travel...♪

♪ ♪

♪There's bridges left to burn...♪

♪ ♪

♪There's songs I haven't written...♪

♪ ♪

♪Lessons left to learn.♪

♪ ♪

♪There's reasons still to fight♪

♪There's you to kiss good night♪

♪So hold on...♪

♪Hold on tight.♪

♪ ♪

♪It makes me mad, really...♪

♪Wish I could blame a twister♪

♪Or a hurricane, or my pesky sister♪

♪Wish I could blame away this feeling in my heart.♪

[music ends]

DAVE: Her surgery went as well as we could have hoped for,

but her body is weak-- she'll need rest.

I know it, I know it.

But I just can't bring myself

to walk out of this room.

JONAS: Lois?

Oh, I'm so glad you're here.

She's okay.

Yeah, well, let's just give you folks some privacy,

shall we?

What happened?

Talk about your rotten day.

First her boyfriend, Darren,

ends things between them,

and then her appendix rupture.

Right then, right there?

It's hard to say when it happened exactly,

but she was definitely walking around

with the situation brewing for a while.

Which one: the appendix or the boyfriend?

GINGER:Both.

BOTH: Hey, you.

Hey, youse.

[moaning]

I thought that nagging pain in the pit of my stomach

was trying to tell me something about Darren.

Turns out it was trying to tell me something about me.

Ow! Ow!

Better reclining, better reclining.

Well, how's this?

Let's put a pillow right...

Oh, thanks.

We're so glad you're okay, Ginger.

[moans]

Oh, me, too.

We want to hug you

but we don't want to hurt you.

The... the head.

You can hug the head.

I'm not sure I ever hugged someone's head before.

You know, I figured it would feel like a bowling ball,

but it actually feels more melonlike--

an underripe honeydew, perhaps.

You a relation?

Yes.

Uh, no.

I mean, I'm her surgeon

and her stepfather-to-be.

Then who's that guy?

Dave!

She's okay, Carl.

She's okay.

Dave, did you... did you save her life?

I guess I did, Carl.

I guess I did.

Thank you.

Why don't you head inside, son?

I know she'll want to see you,

and after all, that's your family in there.

You know, if it's all the same, Dave-o,

I think I'd like to stay out here for a while...

with you.

SIMONE: What about flowers?

Flowers are a little intimate, don't you think?

I guess.

I mean, after today

she'd probably throw them at me.

How about chocolates?

Chocolates, Simone?!

She had major stomach surgery.

I don't think she'll be eating chocolates.

Maybe I should go.

Why?

You just can't...

Maybe this was a bad idea, Darren.

Maybe this is something

that you need to do alone.

Wait, babe.

I'm sorry.

I didn't mean to snap at you.

I just feel...

I know how you feel,

but this isn't your fault, Darren.

It's just a really ugly, unfortunate coincidence.

It's not your fault.

I feel like it's my fault.

I know you do, sweetie.

DARREN: Let's get out of here.

I'm the last person she'd want to see.

HOODSEY: "Her tawny skin turned to gooseflesh

"when she saw him moving toward her.

"She parted her glistening lips

"and prepared for the kiss

she had spent a lifetime waiting for."

A lifetime waiting for.

It's really nice of you to read to me,

but the truth is, this is kind of depressing.

Clearly it's not for everyone.

There she is.

[blows note]

♪ Oh, here's your get-well song. ♪

♪ It isn't very long.

Hey, thanks.

That was... great.

Don't look so scared, Dodie.

I'm okay.

I know.

You look great.

You look...

Did you almost die?

Dr. Dave said I was very lucky.

"AB positive."

Who knew?

Yeah.

So, do you have a big scar?

It's still under bandages.

I haven't seen it yet,

but Dave said it's low enough down

that I'll still be able to wear a bikini.

[laughs weakly]

Well, that's good.

Yeah.

Oh, tell her about Ms. Z.

Ms. Zorski the First wants to come see you.

That'd be nice.

Yeah, that's what we thought.

Nice.

Yeah.

So, what about Darren?

Darren?

Does he know?

I mean, did he hear what happened to me?

He... he did.

Sure did.

Well, is he going to come see me?

Doesn't he want to make sure I'm okay?

He wants to make sure you're okay.

Definitely.

Very concerned, Darren is.

Very.

So concerned is he...

That he's not coming.

I think he's afraid he'll upset you, Ginger.

It's fine, you guys, really.

The one good thing about having a near-death experience is

it really puts things in perspective for you.

Suddenly the whole Darren-Simone thing

doesn't seem like such a big deal anymore.

Oh!Oh!

Well, that's great.

Really?

No... not really.

Oh, hey, uh, Jonas,

I, uh... I wondered if I might have a word with you.

Oh, sure, yeah.

Uh, what's up?

Sunflowers.

Ginger's favorite.

I know.

Right, uh, well, my opening remarks, then.

Uh, I wanted to start out, uh, by saying that I know

it means the world to Ginger that you're here.

Well, thanks.

That's nice of you to say so.

Yes, and I, uh...

well, uh, I have no ill feelings towards you,

and, uh, I can only hope

that you'll feel the same way about me.

I love them, you know.

All of them.

So do I.

Of course you do.

Thanks, Dave, for what you did for Ginger.

You saved her life-- something I never could have done.

You're... you're a better man than I am.

Excuse me.

Well, if I had been eavesdropping,

which I wasn't,

I might say that you handled the situation nicely, very nicely.

Uh, yes.

LOIS: Carl...

I thought you were an atheist.

Yeah, I needed a word with the Big Guy.

Look, Carl, I know what happened was scary--

for both of us.

But your sister is going to be okay.

Honest.

Stress of recent events

make you pick up your old habit?

Oh, no, it's for the man of the hour.

Dave doesn't drink coffee.

It's for your father, silly.

Didn't you see?

He filled Ginger's room with sunflowers.

He even brought his guitar

so he could sing to her.

I haven't seen an inpatient look that happy

since Nurse Betty gave Old Man Monroe his sponge bath.

Jonas?!

The man of the hour?!

Who is she kidding?

What the heck did Jonas do

besides show up late, like he always does?

Dave was there when it happened,

and Dave will be there when it's over.

Dr. Dave is the one who saved Ginger's life, not Jonas.

Why does he have to show up now

and foul things up between Mom and Dave?

Who says he's fouling up things?

Maybe he's just looking after Ginger.

The man has a right to see his daughter.

I just don't want it done at the expense of Dr. Dave.

Oh, no.

Heavens, no!

Mercy, no!

Why, I ask you?

Why, why, why, why?

Huh?

I'm being punished.

I'm being punished for not choosing almonds.

This is fate's way of saying,

"Now you get nothing!"

And maybe that's right, Hoods.

Maybe that's exactly right.

You made the wrong choice

and now you get nothing.

LOIS: What if I hadn't been home?

What if I'd been at work?

But you were home, Lois.

You were home.

That's what matters.

If you're getting ready

to do a big guilt trip on yourself

about not being home enough,

I'm here to remind you

that you spend most of your time saving lives,

thank you very much.

But what about my own kids' lives?

Well, Lois, you can hardly sit at home

waiting for disaster to strike.

I wonder, Lois,

if having Jonas around and being so attentive,

if that's confused your feelings for me.

I'm not going to pretend that it hasn't been of comfort

having him near.

Hey!

He's not the man I'm in love with, David.

You are.

Now, that's romance!

So, they got you pain medication or what?

I guess.

Hi.

Hi.

So it's possible

that you won't even remember I was here.

Anything's possible, I guess.

So then you probably wouldn't remember if told you

that when I heard you were in the hospital,

my, uh, heart almost burst into a thousand pieces.

Mmm, probably not.

Every one of those pieces grew wings,

flew across the night sky,

circling your room until the moment I heard

that you were going to be okay.

No, wouldn't remember a word.

Good, because it sounds a little mushy.

That dude just totally made her murmur.

ZORSKI: Knock, knock.

Boy, I never thought I'd say these words again,

but, Ms. Zorski, I'm glad to see you.

You didn't do all this just to avoid my cousin, did you?

No, getting to skip her class

is just an added perk of being hospitalized, I guess.

How are you holding up, sweetie?

Truth?

I know I'm lucky to be alive.

I know I should be counting my blessings,

but all I can think about is Darren.

He broke up with me to go out

with a cheerleader named Simone.

I'm sorry, Ginger.

And the worst part is

there's no one I want to talk to about any of this besides him.

He's my best friend.

GINGER: I just can't believe he hasn't come to see me yet.

He hasn't visited or written or called.

Is it possible that he just totally stopped caring about me?

Okay if I empty that trash?

Wait.

That card.

It's for me.

Uh, special delivery.

It's from Darren.

DARREN: Dear Ginger, I feel so helpless right now.

More than anything I want to be there for you,

but I don't know how.

In spite of everything that's happened between us,

I just want you to know that...

That's it.

That's all he wrote.

Why didn't he finish it?

But he did finish it.

It just doesn't have an ending.

HOODSEY: This is fate's way of saying, "Now you get nothing!"