Kate volunteers to help a moody (and arithmetic-obsessed) young patient at the Braille institute; Willie works on installing Timmy's new bed; Buddy leaves for a week-end of skiing with T.J. and his parents.
Story by Len Jenkin; teleplay by Barbara Elaine Smith; produced by Nigel McKeand; directed by Philip Leacock.
Kate: Uh, Buddy -- your Dramamine...? Buddy: Mom, I haven't gotten carsick since I was a child. [walks out] Kate: Since you were a child... Three months ago.
Kate: Doug, I'm so angry I don't know what to do with myself. Doug: Angry? At whom? Kate: John Krieger. The more I know about his methods... Doug: He dropped in here, earlier today. Kate: Oh? I'm sorry I didn't see him. There's a few things I'd like to talk to him about. Doug: Robbie Pearson? Kate: Doug, he's driven that boy so hard he's about to crack into pieces. Doug: Oh, then you and John agree. John feels the boy is in trouble, too. Kate: Ah, thank goodness. But he should've gone and talked to Robbie, why come to see me? Doug: He came to see me. Kate: You? Why? Doug: He thought I might be able to help. He feels Robbie's upset is... linked to you. Kate: You're joking! Or John is. He's the one putting the pressure on Robbie. Doug: And you decided you could alleviate it? Kate: Certainly. He can't take it, Doug. If you could see him... The poor boy is close to collapse. Doug: Kate, that poor boy is a young man. He's not twelve years old. Kate: Twelve? Where did you ever get that idea? Doug: From you. You talk about him as if he's a child. Kate: Well, you haven't been listening. Why would a child be enrolling at the university? Doug: He wouldn't be. You haven't talked about a university; you said "school." I thought you meant, you know, school -- like Buddy's. Kate: Well, I'm terribly sorry if I haven't made myself clear. Doug: Kate, a twenty-year-old doesn't qualify as a boy, no matter what his trouble is. Now, maybe you allowed yourself to treat him as a child, and inadvertently fed his need to be one. Kate: I really resent this. Doug: Kate, you and Robbie started working together at a time when both of you needed -- Kate: If you're gonna say anything about his needing a mother and me needing a child, don't. Doug: I don't think it was conscious. I mean, he must be terribly frightened; it's an overwhelming fear I remember very well. All you want when you're going through it is somebody to... make the clock go back, to coddle you... Kate, you've been sorely in need of someone to coddle around the house, the past few days. Kate: I don't have to listen to this anymore.
