Army Wives s03e12 Episode Script
First Response
Previously on "Army Wives" - Ms.
Leblanc? I'm Claire Decker.
- Hi, nice to meet you.
- This is Finn.
- Hello.
I may not be anything special, but I know that my son is, and I just want a fair shake for him.
That's all.
This is Mrs.
Decker from Fordham Academy.
Finn's been awarded a full scholarship.
- Welcome to Fordham.
- Thank you! I walk back with the souffle, and Denise is sitting by herself? It was incredibly rude.
The simple fact is that you can't stand to be in the same room as Denise, can you? What she did violates everything I believe in.
I remain Claudia Joy's friend, and that will never change, but I don't have to be yours.
- Thank you for all your kindness.
- You didn't have to do that.
You two will be guests at the Dream Haven spa this weekend.
Massages, facials-- the works.
Look out! It's me, Claudia Joy.
Just try to be still.
- Ma'am, are you okay? - Yeah, I'm fine.
It's my friend.
Arterial lac to her lower left wrist.
I'm elevating, applying pressure.
Positive L.
O.
C.
Pulse is thready.
Airway is okay.
- E.
M.
T.
? - Nurse.
Yeah, I'm right here, Claudia Joy, right beside you.
I'm a paramedic, ma'am.
I'm gonna take over for your friend now.
Can you stabilize? You're gonna be fine.
You're doing so well, Claudia Joy.
Just hang in there, okay? I need to step in.
Ma'am, we'll take it from here.
We need to make sure you're okay.
I'll be close by.
- Denise.
- Yeah.
She's my best friend.
~ Willow's Team ~ Your mother's gone only a few hours, and our eating habits have gone completely to hell.
Speak for yourself.
Soy ice cream.
Mmm.
Tofu not.
General Holden.
Speaking.
What happened? She's stable.
Her head CT came back clear.
She cut her wrist during the accident, had to get stitches.
What about you? I'm okay, kiddo.
Just a couple of bruises.
What happened? I don't know.
It all happened so fast.
I'm here for my wife-- Claudia Joy Holden.
I just spoke with Dr.
Spencer.
- We can take you right back.
- Thank you.
Emmalin.
I'm all right.
I should try to reach Frank again.
Go.
Mom.
Don't worry.
Don't worry, honey.
I'm fine.
I'm Dr.
Spencer.
I've been treating your wife.
Thank you.
In addition to a mild concussion and some superficial bruises and contusions, your wife suffered an arterial laceration to her left wrist.
We've closed the wound and expect it to heal normally.
Profusion to the distal extremities looks good.
- Come again? - Sorry.
Long day.
With this kind of trauma, circulation to the fingers can be a problem, but that doesn't appear to be the case.
- That's good, right? - Yes.
And her head scan proved normal.
- Can we take her home, doctor? - Well, not yet.
We'd like to hold her overnight, uh, keep her on the IV.
Plus, any time there's a loss of consciousness, we prefer to err on the side of caution.
- But she's okay? - Well, as far as we can tell, yes.
But we want to watch for blood clots, uh, make sure her mental status remains clear.
I assure you, this is purely a precaution.
Emmalin, don't forget-- seat belts.
Mom.
The only thing Mrs.
Holden really needs right now is rest.
Understood.
See you tomorrow? - Thank you, Dr.
Spencer.
- Yes, thank you.
- You're welcome.
Did you see Denise? - Yeah.
- How is she? - She's okay.
- We saw her on the way in.
Oh, god.
I feel so foolish.
Denise offered to drive, and-- Michael, the car.
Don't worry about the car.
You should go home.
You should-- Emmalin, you have school.
She has school.
I'll be right back.
All right.
Okay.
I'm gonna stay with your mother tonight.
- Me, too.
- I know that you want to, sweetheart, but I need you to do something for me.
Colonel Sherwood is at the Pentagon, and that means Mrs.
Sherwood is all alone right now.
Right.
I need you to take her home and make sure she's okay.
- Can you do that for me? - Yeah.
That's my girl.
I'll tell her.
I'm gonna say good night to mom first.
Excuse me.
Did you help out with that car accident on route 12 tonight? Yes, sir.
I was one of the responders on the scene.
Thank you.
That was my wife.
Appreciate that.
But the person you should really thank is her.
She's a hell of a nurse.
If she hadn't have been there to stop that bleeding, your wife Well, it might have been a different story.
Good morning.
And how are we feeling today? I don't know yet.
Here.
- I can get that.
- No.
You're the patient.
I'm the nurse.
Brought you a few things from the house.
Emmalin helped me pick 'em out.
- How is she? - She's good.
She stayed with me last night.
Oh, thanks.
Everyone's asking about you.
I practically had to bar them from driving over here.
Denise, I am so sorry.
Stop.
There's no need to apologize.
I was so stupid.
I don't-- I don't know what happened.
The only thing that matters is that you are alive and that you'll be home before you know it.
Look who's awake.
- Hi.
- Good morning, Denise.
Good morning.
I-I brought some clothes for Claudia Joy.
Thanks.
I was just confirming the age-old truth about hospital food.
That for me? It is now.
How's my sleeping beauty? Very funny.
I look awful.
Hardly.
- Well, I better get going.
- Really? So soon? I can get some more coffee.
No, I have a million things to do.
And - I'll see you at the house.
- Thank you.
Tell everyone not to worry about me.
Fat chance.
Bye.
- How do you spell "Holden"? - H-O-L-D-E-N.
- I was asking mom.
Mom.
- He's right.
- See? - Know-it-all.
Good news.
Claudia Joy is coming home this afternoon, Denise says she's doing really well.
Oh, thank god.
Yeah, I'm gonna let Roland know.
Great.
Did she say how it happened? She thinks Claudia Joy was blinded by headlights, overcorrected.
- What's up, little man? - We need to go.
Oh, you're right.
Can't be late for our first day.
- Looking good, Finn.
- Thanks.
- It's my new uniform.
- I know.
I'm starting a new school-- Fordham Academy.
I know.
Would you mind? I promised Trevor he wouldn't miss anything - while he's away at recruiter school.
- Sure.
All right, get together.
Dork.
One more.
- Bye, Arabella.
- Bye, mommy.
Excuse me.
Hi there.
Can you tell me where to park? Park? Honey, this is lower-school drop-off only.
Oh, well, it's his first day.
I wanted to walk him in.
Didn't you read the parent handbook? Yes, but I didn't memorize it.
Newbie in the lower lot holding up the line.
You need to pull out, make a left on Fordham drive, turn where it says "north lot" and park in one of the spots marked "visitors.
" Oh, give it a rest.
Some people, I swear.
Who's your teacher, handsome? - Ms.
Sutton.
- My daughter Anna's in that class.
You'll love Ms.
Sutton.
She's in the first set of classrooms on your right once you park.
Okay, thank you.
Read your handbook All of it.
Yes, ma'am.
And wash that car! The nurse explained your wound care? - She did.
- Now be sure to report any numbness or tingling in your finger or hands.
Those stitches should be ready to come out in a week.
Now because you mentioned blurry vision, I'd like you to follow up with an ophthalmologist.
Oh, I was tired.
My eyes are fine.
When was your last eye exam? Ophthalmologist-- got it.
Okay, uh, one more thing.
We ran a standard blood panel when you were admitted.
Your glucose level came back high.
We thought it could be stress, so we repeated it this morning.
- Your levels remain elevated.
- What does that mean? It could reflect any number of things, but it needs to be checked out.
I've conferred with your primary physician over at Mercer-- Melinda Jernigan.
She can see you tomorrow at 10:00.
Saturday? It can't wait till monday? This isn't the kind of thing that you want to ignore.
- She'll be there.
- Good.
Go back to sleep.
When I was in the car waiting for the ambulance Rest.
I kept seeing you and Emmalin And thinking about all we've been through How much we have to live for.
Can I call your friends and tell 'em to forget about this afternoon? No.
They've been too kind.
I don't want to disappoint them.
I'll be fine.
I know.
I think I will rest my eyes a while.
Good.
I really can't explain it.
One minute, we're on our way to the spa, and the next we're headed for a tree.
I know it was my fault, but for the life of me, I don't know what went wrong.
That's why they call 'em accidents.
You get paid big bucks for that kind of analysis, huh? So, Roxy, what's this I hear about Trevor being a recruiter? Oh, yeah.
How about that? He's at Fort Jackson doing training, and then he's home for a good long time.
So the Leblanc house is higher than a kite these days.
- I'm happy for you.
- Thank you.
Oh, no, you don't, Missy.
I got it.
I'm not an invalid, you know? You've had a major trauma, Claudia Joy.
- You need to take it easy.
- Listen to the doctor.
Sorry I'm late.
- How are you doing? - I'm happy to be home.
- How are you doing, Denise? - Are you okay? Nothing a little ibuprofen can't help.
I'm just a little sore.
I am bringing a casserole for dinner.
- I put a lasagna in the freezer.
- I made chili.
And in the interest of a speedy recovery, I purposely avoided making anything.
My cookies came in a sealed box.
- You're all spoiling me.
- Oh, come on.
Enjoy it.
Whenever I'm sick, I always milk it for everything I can.
I'm just not good with all this fuss.
That's all.
That's because you like to be in control.
- Wouldn't you agree, Dr.
Burton? - I'm not gonna go there.
All I will say is that you both need to take it easy.
Yeah, stay on that couch, or you're in serious trouble.
What would I do without you guys? I like science the best.
We looked at a butterfly wing in a microscope.
- Have you ever done that, mom? - Nope.
Then we had music.
That was the best.
- I thought science was the best.
- It was.
You can't have two bests, stupid.
- T.
J.
, watch your tone.
- Well, you can't.
Go ahead.
I played a clarinet.
It sounds like a goose.
- Anybody home? - Dad! - Daddy! Boys.
- Welcome home, soldier.
- Thanks, baby.
- How was recruiter school? - It was great.
- Finn, how is your new school? - Great.
My teacher-- Ms.
Sutton-- has freckles and bouncy hair.
- Bouncy hair? - I had this spelling test-- And she gave us juice boxes 'cause we did so good at math.
- Then we sat on the quad for reading.
- What's a quad? - It means grass.
- I had this spelling test-- And in science, Mr.
Sanchez gave me a chapter book about caterpillars.
Let me tell dad about my test.
Toby Jack Leblanc, we do not hit in this house! - What was that about? - He's been in a mood all day.
I think it's a little sibling rivalry.
I tried to talk to him, but I got nowhere fast.
You okay, little man? - Is everything okay? - It is.
Claudia Joy is resting.
- How are you? You feel okay? - Yeah, I'm fine.
Good.
- Would you like to come in? - No, thank you.
I just stopped by because I know that you and I have had our differences, Denise I came by to say thank you.
Thank you for saving Claudia Joy.
I think I owe you an apology.
No.
I understand.
You're welcome in our home anytime.
Thank you.
Good night.
Good night.
What are you smiling for, Sherwood? It's 110 out here in the shade, and there ain't no shade.
I'm just happy my parents are back together, - that's all.
- Well, get over it, a'ight? You're pissing me off.
You know I'm just playing with you, right? I'm glad they worked it out.
You never told me about your mom and dad.
- They together? - Together? Man, if they were any more together, they'd be one person.
Check this out.
Damn.
That's your family? Extended family.
Grandparents, parents, cousins, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, cats, dogs-- We have annual reunions.
- So which ones are your folks? - Oh, right here in the middle.
That's my mom, that's my dad.
- Must be nice.
- Yeah.
My family's tighter than a can of sardines, bro.
Everyone's in everybody's business.
Family's everything, man.
Word.
Incoming! Scrounger, you tool.
Take it easy, Shirley.
Just open the thing.
You know you scared the crap outta me, right? - How'd it get here so fast? - Bro, I told you.
The scrounge-a-nator's got a hookup on everything and anything.
Enjoy, ladies.
- That's half mine.
- I'm first go.
That was our deal.
Saddle up! We'll settle this later, all right? Byron's in my reading class and music.
He plays trumpet.
Finish your cereal, okay? - Someone's up early.
- I have a play date.
With Byron, his new best friend from school.
He's coming here? I'll go change.
- No, I'm going there.
- Yeah, they're coming to pick him up.
Hey, sleepyhead.
What do you want for breakfast? - Nothing.
- Nothing? Buddy, how can you play shortstop for the Braves if you don't eat anything? He's here! - Hey, Byron! - We saw a tank driving in.
Cool.
- Are you Byron's mom? - No, I'm his au pair.
His what now? - She's my nanny.
- Oh, okay.
I'm, uh, Roxy Leblanc.
Thanks for coming to pick Finn up.
Madeline Marcon, and it was no trouble at all.
Mrs.
Dunwood would be here, but she plays tennis on saturdays.
Right.
Our contact number and address.
We'll be at the park, then home for lunch.
Is Finn allergic to shellfish? He doesn't have any allergies that I'm aware of.
Good.
I think we're having she-crab soup.
Okay.
Well, Finn would be over the moon with pb&j.
He's really not picky.
You boys ready to go? Andiamo.
- Finn, mind your manners.
- Bye.
Y'all have fun.
Hey, bud.
How you doing? You got any big plans today? How would you like to go to dad's secret fishing spot? - Really? - Yeah.
Of course, you gotta get dressed first.
Okay, sure.
What do I wear? Well, you know, adventure stuff, like cargo pants, boots.
We're gonna be trekking through some pretty rugged country, you know? Can I bring my cub scout knife? Absolutely.
We may need it.
Cool.
You used to hate having your hair combed when you were little.
That's because it took forever.
One snarl after the other.
And now I know who to blame.
Talk about thick hair.
It's not such a bad thing.
- In the summer it is.
- Well, blame your grandmother.
Does it hurt? Oh, it throbs every now and then.
Think you'll have a scar? Probably.
Took 14 stitches.
How long will we be at the doctor? Oh, no, honey.
You don't have to stick around.
I'll be there most of the day.
Your dad will pick me up when I'm done.
How come you'll be there so long? They're running some tests.
- And that takes all day? - This one test does.
I have to drink some goo and then wait for a couple of hours.
Why? Check levels in my blood.
That doesn't sound good.
Honey, I'm sure it's nothing.
I've never been sick a day in my life.
You know that.
You have good genes.
Except for the hair.
Quit complaining.
Keep combing.
Yeah, okay.
Hmm.
Frank sent these.
He knows lilies are my favorite.
Well, I brought you something a bit more practical.
- You mentioned being sore.
- Thank you.
I'll soak with this tonight.
- How's Joan? - Busy.
You remember how much has to be handled before deployment.
- Can I help with anything? - We're covered.
I just came by here to make sure that you were taking it easy.
- Following doctor's orders? - Exactly.
It's Claudia Joy you have to worry about.
She never slows down.
That's true.
But she's not the only one around here who puts others first.
You doing okay? I am.
Considering what could've happened, I feel very lucky.
In fact, I keep thinking about all the things I have-- my health, my family, my friends.
I'm so blessed, Roland.
I really am.
Life is good.
Hola, suckers.
How does he always score a ride, and we're stuck humping it? Oh, think about it.
Who scores top sirloin, kick-ass dvds, cell phones, video games-- You or Scrounger? All I'm saying is that it's not fair that this guy-- Hit the deck! Hit the deck! Incoming! Incoming! - How you doin' back there? - Good.
Good.
When I was first assigned to Fort Marshall, I need to find a place where I could Clear my head, think a little, you know? - Yeah.
- Here, watch your step.
So anyways, a buddy and I kinda wandered out here and we stumbled on to this fishing spot.
Watch the rocks.
So as far as I know, not another human alive knows about this spot except for me, my buddy, and now you.
- You ready? - Yeah.
Well, go on.
Yeah, you said it.
- Hey, you hungry? - Yeah.
Yeah? Well A special spot deserves special food-- man food.
And you can't tell your mom or your brother, okay? - Open up.
- Really? - Hey, we're in the woods, right? - Right.
Who needs crackers when you're in the woods? - Not me.
- All right, then.
Commence firing.
Yeah, that's good.
All right.
Who's ready for some fishing? - Me.
- Okay.
Sir.
At ease.
I just wanted to thank you for taking over that rot-c tour this morning.
Happy to help.
- How's Claudia Joy? - Appears to be okay, thanks.
- Please give her my best.
- I will.
Just no accounting for life, is there? Sir? As soldiers we're used to being in harm's way.
If there's bad news, it usually involves one of us.
But Everyone's vulnerable Every minute, every day.
Whole thing can turn on a dime.
Yes, sir.
Carry on.
Thanks for your patience.
I know that glucose test is no fun.
It's the fasting that's no fun.
The results aren't good, Claudia Joy.
I'm sorry to tell you this, but you have type 2 diabetes.
That can't be right.
I watch my weight, I exercise.
I understand.
You don't fit the stereotype.
But about 20% of type 2 diabetics don't.
That's 1-in-5.
Is there any history in your family? My grandmother, but she was overweight.
This doesn't make sense.
The symptoms have probably been there for a while.
Have you had any unexplained tiredness lately, walking up stairs, maybe? Um, once in a while, when I'm carrying laundry or What about thirst? I try to stay hydrated.
But after you drink, are you still thirsty? Sometimes.
It's the south.
I've treated you for two urinary tract infections in the past nine months.
Taken singly, none of these problems is terribly damning, but viewed as a whole, it paints an entirely different picture.
I'm sorry, but you're wrong.
Can't the test be-- be wrong? There's always the possibility of clinical error, but-- Let's take the test again.
There is another test, the a-1-c.
That would show us your average blood glucose over the past few months.
- There is no refuting those results.
- I want to take that test now.
Please.
Oh, darn.
Yes? Hi.
Hello.
It's, uh, Roxy Leblanc.
- I'm here to pick up-- - Finn will be right there.
Okeydokey.
- Hi, mom! - Hey, there.
He was a perfect gentleman.
Oh, I'm glad to hear it.
Thanks for having me over.
We should get them together again soon.
- Can we? - Sure.
Anytime.
- Cool.
Bye, Finn.
- See you at school.
- So you had fun? - It was great.
Good.
Buddy, you are a fish magnet.
We've pretty much hit our legal limit.
Do we have to go? Couple more.
Gotta leave some for next time.
What is it? I thought I spotted Mr.
Fred.
Who's Mr.
Fred? I met Mr.
Fred the first time I fished this spot.
I'd been out here an hour, maybe two, hadn't caught much.
Then I felt this pull.
Only stronger.
That fish yanked me so hard, it nearly popped me outta my boots.
Then snap! Broke me off.
- Man.
- I know.
Then I heard this splash, and Mr.
Fred had jumped clear out of the water.
And right hand to god, T.
J.
, that fish was as big as my arm.
Did you ever hook him again? Nope.
That's why I've been waiting to bring you out here.
Make sure you were strong enough to give Mr.
Fred a real run for his money.
Think we'll see him? Always a chance.
Scrounger's stable.
Chopper's flying him to Baghdad.
He'll get back in the game, man.
The guy is unstoppable.
Man, did you see his leg? It was like hamburger.
At least he's alive.
What kind of life is that? No leg? Hey, we don't know that.
Maybe they can save it.
Just promise me something, all right? If I buy it in the sandbox, you call my folks, tell 'em I did my job, you tell 'em that I was-- What are you talking about? We're outta here in two weeks and a haircut, bro.
Your mom's gonna be all over you next month crying for new grandkids, right? Just promise me.
No way.
Nothing's gonna happen.
I'd do it for you.
Nobody's calling anybody, all right? Mom, are we poor? What? Where did you get that idea? Byron's got a trampoline, a swimming pool and a wooden fort bigger than the one at school.
He does? He even has a computer and a tv in his room.
Wow.
That's a lot of stuff.
- Yeah.
- But, you know, stuff doesn't really make a person rich or poor.
It doesn't? Heck, no.
I mean, we may not have a lot of stuff, but we've got plenty of things that other people don't have.
Like Lucky? Yeah, like Lucky.
But also like a roof over our heads and clothes on our back and food in our bellies.
A lot of people don't even have that.
- They don't? - No.
But more importantly, we have each other, right? Like your dad and T.
J.
and all of our friends.
So we're not poor.
Do you feel poor? No, but I wish we had a pool.
Yeah, well, me, too.
Come here.
You want to wash the car? Y'all can't still be hungry.
- I'd eat more.
- Me, too.
Did you boys come home with hollow legs I don't know about? Fresh fish is the best fish, right, dad? Right.
It sounds like everyone had a pretty great day.
The best day ever.
Can I go to the secret fishing hole, dad? When you're a little older, pal.
- It's not fair.
- It's a long hike, buddy.
Yeah, you just need to grow some first so Mr.
Fred doesn't pull you into the pond.
Who's Mr.
Fred? Only the biggest fish in the state of South Carolina.
Okay, who's ready for more fish?! - Me! - I am.
Hey, mom? Jeremy.
Is everything all right? Yeah, everything's cool.
Just thought I'd check in on you.
Dad still in D.
C.
? Yeah, till next week.
So How are you? Anything going on? No, not much.
Same old, same old.
How about you? No.
Nothing much here either.
I'm really looking forward to coming home.
Oh, me, too.
It'll be so nice to have the family together again.
Yeah.
You know, there is one thing.
Wait till you see what your father bought.
What? A motorcycle.
No way.
Seriously? A Harley.
Can you believe it? It's good to hear your voice, mom.
Yours, too.
Hurry up and come home, okay? That's my plan.
Diabetes? You're sure? We performed two different tests.
How is that possible? Claudia Joy takes care of herself.
She's-- We've been over this, Michael.
We don't understand how diabetes works in all people, general Holden.
But now that the diagnosis has been confirmed, our focus has to be on treatment.
How serious is this? It's serious.
Some cases are more severe than others, but this disease is the leading cause of blindness in adults, kidney failure, amputations.
That's the scary part.
The good part is that it's manageable.
People with diabetes can lead full, satisfying lives as long as they make their health their number one priority.
How do we do that? I'd like to start insulin therapy immediately.
We may be able to consider oral medications in the future, but right now, your body requires insulin to normalize your glucose.
You're both gonna need to learn how to administer the injections and monitor your glucose levels, Claudia Joy.
We need to talk about diet, keeping good records.
There's a lot to learn.
It's a lot to process.
But I know what a strong woman you are.
Thank you.
You're going to be fine.
Nurse Albright is a certified diabetes educator.
She's here now.
We'll stay as long as it takes to make sure that you both feel comfortable with everything you have to do now.
Thank you.
I'll leave you alone for a few minutes.
You let me know when you're ready.
~ Willow's Team ~
Leblanc? I'm Claire Decker.
- Hi, nice to meet you.
- This is Finn.
- Hello.
I may not be anything special, but I know that my son is, and I just want a fair shake for him.
That's all.
This is Mrs.
Decker from Fordham Academy.
Finn's been awarded a full scholarship.
- Welcome to Fordham.
- Thank you! I walk back with the souffle, and Denise is sitting by herself? It was incredibly rude.
The simple fact is that you can't stand to be in the same room as Denise, can you? What she did violates everything I believe in.
I remain Claudia Joy's friend, and that will never change, but I don't have to be yours.
- Thank you for all your kindness.
- You didn't have to do that.
You two will be guests at the Dream Haven spa this weekend.
Massages, facials-- the works.
Look out! It's me, Claudia Joy.
Just try to be still.
- Ma'am, are you okay? - Yeah, I'm fine.
It's my friend.
Arterial lac to her lower left wrist.
I'm elevating, applying pressure.
Positive L.
O.
C.
Pulse is thready.
Airway is okay.
- E.
M.
T.
? - Nurse.
Yeah, I'm right here, Claudia Joy, right beside you.
I'm a paramedic, ma'am.
I'm gonna take over for your friend now.
Can you stabilize? You're gonna be fine.
You're doing so well, Claudia Joy.
Just hang in there, okay? I need to step in.
Ma'am, we'll take it from here.
We need to make sure you're okay.
I'll be close by.
- Denise.
- Yeah.
She's my best friend.
~ Willow's Team ~ Your mother's gone only a few hours, and our eating habits have gone completely to hell.
Speak for yourself.
Soy ice cream.
Mmm.
Tofu not.
General Holden.
Speaking.
What happened? She's stable.
Her head CT came back clear.
She cut her wrist during the accident, had to get stitches.
What about you? I'm okay, kiddo.
Just a couple of bruises.
What happened? I don't know.
It all happened so fast.
I'm here for my wife-- Claudia Joy Holden.
I just spoke with Dr.
Spencer.
- We can take you right back.
- Thank you.
Emmalin.
I'm all right.
I should try to reach Frank again.
Go.
Mom.
Don't worry.
Don't worry, honey.
I'm fine.
I'm Dr.
Spencer.
I've been treating your wife.
Thank you.
In addition to a mild concussion and some superficial bruises and contusions, your wife suffered an arterial laceration to her left wrist.
We've closed the wound and expect it to heal normally.
Profusion to the distal extremities looks good.
- Come again? - Sorry.
Long day.
With this kind of trauma, circulation to the fingers can be a problem, but that doesn't appear to be the case.
- That's good, right? - Yes.
And her head scan proved normal.
- Can we take her home, doctor? - Well, not yet.
We'd like to hold her overnight, uh, keep her on the IV.
Plus, any time there's a loss of consciousness, we prefer to err on the side of caution.
- But she's okay? - Well, as far as we can tell, yes.
But we want to watch for blood clots, uh, make sure her mental status remains clear.
I assure you, this is purely a precaution.
Emmalin, don't forget-- seat belts.
Mom.
The only thing Mrs.
Holden really needs right now is rest.
Understood.
See you tomorrow? - Thank you, Dr.
Spencer.
- Yes, thank you.
- You're welcome.
Did you see Denise? - Yeah.
- How is she? - She's okay.
- We saw her on the way in.
Oh, god.
I feel so foolish.
Denise offered to drive, and-- Michael, the car.
Don't worry about the car.
You should go home.
You should-- Emmalin, you have school.
She has school.
I'll be right back.
All right.
Okay.
I'm gonna stay with your mother tonight.
- Me, too.
- I know that you want to, sweetheart, but I need you to do something for me.
Colonel Sherwood is at the Pentagon, and that means Mrs.
Sherwood is all alone right now.
Right.
I need you to take her home and make sure she's okay.
- Can you do that for me? - Yeah.
That's my girl.
I'll tell her.
I'm gonna say good night to mom first.
Excuse me.
Did you help out with that car accident on route 12 tonight? Yes, sir.
I was one of the responders on the scene.
Thank you.
That was my wife.
Appreciate that.
But the person you should really thank is her.
She's a hell of a nurse.
If she hadn't have been there to stop that bleeding, your wife Well, it might have been a different story.
Good morning.
And how are we feeling today? I don't know yet.
Here.
- I can get that.
- No.
You're the patient.
I'm the nurse.
Brought you a few things from the house.
Emmalin helped me pick 'em out.
- How is she? - She's good.
She stayed with me last night.
Oh, thanks.
Everyone's asking about you.
I practically had to bar them from driving over here.
Denise, I am so sorry.
Stop.
There's no need to apologize.
I was so stupid.
I don't-- I don't know what happened.
The only thing that matters is that you are alive and that you'll be home before you know it.
Look who's awake.
- Hi.
- Good morning, Denise.
Good morning.
I-I brought some clothes for Claudia Joy.
Thanks.
I was just confirming the age-old truth about hospital food.
That for me? It is now.
How's my sleeping beauty? Very funny.
I look awful.
Hardly.
- Well, I better get going.
- Really? So soon? I can get some more coffee.
No, I have a million things to do.
And - I'll see you at the house.
- Thank you.
Tell everyone not to worry about me.
Fat chance.
Bye.
- How do you spell "Holden"? - H-O-L-D-E-N.
- I was asking mom.
Mom.
- He's right.
- See? - Know-it-all.
Good news.
Claudia Joy is coming home this afternoon, Denise says she's doing really well.
Oh, thank god.
Yeah, I'm gonna let Roland know.
Great.
Did she say how it happened? She thinks Claudia Joy was blinded by headlights, overcorrected.
- What's up, little man? - We need to go.
Oh, you're right.
Can't be late for our first day.
- Looking good, Finn.
- Thanks.
- It's my new uniform.
- I know.
I'm starting a new school-- Fordham Academy.
I know.
Would you mind? I promised Trevor he wouldn't miss anything - while he's away at recruiter school.
- Sure.
All right, get together.
Dork.
One more.
- Bye, Arabella.
- Bye, mommy.
Excuse me.
Hi there.
Can you tell me where to park? Park? Honey, this is lower-school drop-off only.
Oh, well, it's his first day.
I wanted to walk him in.
Didn't you read the parent handbook? Yes, but I didn't memorize it.
Newbie in the lower lot holding up the line.
You need to pull out, make a left on Fordham drive, turn where it says "north lot" and park in one of the spots marked "visitors.
" Oh, give it a rest.
Some people, I swear.
Who's your teacher, handsome? - Ms.
Sutton.
- My daughter Anna's in that class.
You'll love Ms.
Sutton.
She's in the first set of classrooms on your right once you park.
Okay, thank you.
Read your handbook All of it.
Yes, ma'am.
And wash that car! The nurse explained your wound care? - She did.
- Now be sure to report any numbness or tingling in your finger or hands.
Those stitches should be ready to come out in a week.
Now because you mentioned blurry vision, I'd like you to follow up with an ophthalmologist.
Oh, I was tired.
My eyes are fine.
When was your last eye exam? Ophthalmologist-- got it.
Okay, uh, one more thing.
We ran a standard blood panel when you were admitted.
Your glucose level came back high.
We thought it could be stress, so we repeated it this morning.
- Your levels remain elevated.
- What does that mean? It could reflect any number of things, but it needs to be checked out.
I've conferred with your primary physician over at Mercer-- Melinda Jernigan.
She can see you tomorrow at 10:00.
Saturday? It can't wait till monday? This isn't the kind of thing that you want to ignore.
- She'll be there.
- Good.
Go back to sleep.
When I was in the car waiting for the ambulance Rest.
I kept seeing you and Emmalin And thinking about all we've been through How much we have to live for.
Can I call your friends and tell 'em to forget about this afternoon? No.
They've been too kind.
I don't want to disappoint them.
I'll be fine.
I know.
I think I will rest my eyes a while.
Good.
I really can't explain it.
One minute, we're on our way to the spa, and the next we're headed for a tree.
I know it was my fault, but for the life of me, I don't know what went wrong.
That's why they call 'em accidents.
You get paid big bucks for that kind of analysis, huh? So, Roxy, what's this I hear about Trevor being a recruiter? Oh, yeah.
How about that? He's at Fort Jackson doing training, and then he's home for a good long time.
So the Leblanc house is higher than a kite these days.
- I'm happy for you.
- Thank you.
Oh, no, you don't, Missy.
I got it.
I'm not an invalid, you know? You've had a major trauma, Claudia Joy.
- You need to take it easy.
- Listen to the doctor.
Sorry I'm late.
- How are you doing? - I'm happy to be home.
- How are you doing, Denise? - Are you okay? Nothing a little ibuprofen can't help.
I'm just a little sore.
I am bringing a casserole for dinner.
- I put a lasagna in the freezer.
- I made chili.
And in the interest of a speedy recovery, I purposely avoided making anything.
My cookies came in a sealed box.
- You're all spoiling me.
- Oh, come on.
Enjoy it.
Whenever I'm sick, I always milk it for everything I can.
I'm just not good with all this fuss.
That's all.
That's because you like to be in control.
- Wouldn't you agree, Dr.
Burton? - I'm not gonna go there.
All I will say is that you both need to take it easy.
Yeah, stay on that couch, or you're in serious trouble.
What would I do without you guys? I like science the best.
We looked at a butterfly wing in a microscope.
- Have you ever done that, mom? - Nope.
Then we had music.
That was the best.
- I thought science was the best.
- It was.
You can't have two bests, stupid.
- T.
J.
, watch your tone.
- Well, you can't.
Go ahead.
I played a clarinet.
It sounds like a goose.
- Anybody home? - Dad! - Daddy! Boys.
- Welcome home, soldier.
- Thanks, baby.
- How was recruiter school? - It was great.
- Finn, how is your new school? - Great.
My teacher-- Ms.
Sutton-- has freckles and bouncy hair.
- Bouncy hair? - I had this spelling test-- And she gave us juice boxes 'cause we did so good at math.
- Then we sat on the quad for reading.
- What's a quad? - It means grass.
- I had this spelling test-- And in science, Mr.
Sanchez gave me a chapter book about caterpillars.
Let me tell dad about my test.
Toby Jack Leblanc, we do not hit in this house! - What was that about? - He's been in a mood all day.
I think it's a little sibling rivalry.
I tried to talk to him, but I got nowhere fast.
You okay, little man? - Is everything okay? - It is.
Claudia Joy is resting.
- How are you? You feel okay? - Yeah, I'm fine.
Good.
- Would you like to come in? - No, thank you.
I just stopped by because I know that you and I have had our differences, Denise I came by to say thank you.
Thank you for saving Claudia Joy.
I think I owe you an apology.
No.
I understand.
You're welcome in our home anytime.
Thank you.
Good night.
Good night.
What are you smiling for, Sherwood? It's 110 out here in the shade, and there ain't no shade.
I'm just happy my parents are back together, - that's all.
- Well, get over it, a'ight? You're pissing me off.
You know I'm just playing with you, right? I'm glad they worked it out.
You never told me about your mom and dad.
- They together? - Together? Man, if they were any more together, they'd be one person.
Check this out.
Damn.
That's your family? Extended family.
Grandparents, parents, cousins, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, cats, dogs-- We have annual reunions.
- So which ones are your folks? - Oh, right here in the middle.
That's my mom, that's my dad.
- Must be nice.
- Yeah.
My family's tighter than a can of sardines, bro.
Everyone's in everybody's business.
Family's everything, man.
Word.
Incoming! Scrounger, you tool.
Take it easy, Shirley.
Just open the thing.
You know you scared the crap outta me, right? - How'd it get here so fast? - Bro, I told you.
The scrounge-a-nator's got a hookup on everything and anything.
Enjoy, ladies.
- That's half mine.
- I'm first go.
That was our deal.
Saddle up! We'll settle this later, all right? Byron's in my reading class and music.
He plays trumpet.
Finish your cereal, okay? - Someone's up early.
- I have a play date.
With Byron, his new best friend from school.
He's coming here? I'll go change.
- No, I'm going there.
- Yeah, they're coming to pick him up.
Hey, sleepyhead.
What do you want for breakfast? - Nothing.
- Nothing? Buddy, how can you play shortstop for the Braves if you don't eat anything? He's here! - Hey, Byron! - We saw a tank driving in.
Cool.
- Are you Byron's mom? - No, I'm his au pair.
His what now? - She's my nanny.
- Oh, okay.
I'm, uh, Roxy Leblanc.
Thanks for coming to pick Finn up.
Madeline Marcon, and it was no trouble at all.
Mrs.
Dunwood would be here, but she plays tennis on saturdays.
Right.
Our contact number and address.
We'll be at the park, then home for lunch.
Is Finn allergic to shellfish? He doesn't have any allergies that I'm aware of.
Good.
I think we're having she-crab soup.
Okay.
Well, Finn would be over the moon with pb&j.
He's really not picky.
You boys ready to go? Andiamo.
- Finn, mind your manners.
- Bye.
Y'all have fun.
Hey, bud.
How you doing? You got any big plans today? How would you like to go to dad's secret fishing spot? - Really? - Yeah.
Of course, you gotta get dressed first.
Okay, sure.
What do I wear? Well, you know, adventure stuff, like cargo pants, boots.
We're gonna be trekking through some pretty rugged country, you know? Can I bring my cub scout knife? Absolutely.
We may need it.
Cool.
You used to hate having your hair combed when you were little.
That's because it took forever.
One snarl after the other.
And now I know who to blame.
Talk about thick hair.
It's not such a bad thing.
- In the summer it is.
- Well, blame your grandmother.
Does it hurt? Oh, it throbs every now and then.
Think you'll have a scar? Probably.
Took 14 stitches.
How long will we be at the doctor? Oh, no, honey.
You don't have to stick around.
I'll be there most of the day.
Your dad will pick me up when I'm done.
How come you'll be there so long? They're running some tests.
- And that takes all day? - This one test does.
I have to drink some goo and then wait for a couple of hours.
Why? Check levels in my blood.
That doesn't sound good.
Honey, I'm sure it's nothing.
I've never been sick a day in my life.
You know that.
You have good genes.
Except for the hair.
Quit complaining.
Keep combing.
Yeah, okay.
Hmm.
Frank sent these.
He knows lilies are my favorite.
Well, I brought you something a bit more practical.
- You mentioned being sore.
- Thank you.
I'll soak with this tonight.
- How's Joan? - Busy.
You remember how much has to be handled before deployment.
- Can I help with anything? - We're covered.
I just came by here to make sure that you were taking it easy.
- Following doctor's orders? - Exactly.
It's Claudia Joy you have to worry about.
She never slows down.
That's true.
But she's not the only one around here who puts others first.
You doing okay? I am.
Considering what could've happened, I feel very lucky.
In fact, I keep thinking about all the things I have-- my health, my family, my friends.
I'm so blessed, Roland.
I really am.
Life is good.
Hola, suckers.
How does he always score a ride, and we're stuck humping it? Oh, think about it.
Who scores top sirloin, kick-ass dvds, cell phones, video games-- You or Scrounger? All I'm saying is that it's not fair that this guy-- Hit the deck! Hit the deck! Incoming! Incoming! - How you doin' back there? - Good.
Good.
When I was first assigned to Fort Marshall, I need to find a place where I could Clear my head, think a little, you know? - Yeah.
- Here, watch your step.
So anyways, a buddy and I kinda wandered out here and we stumbled on to this fishing spot.
Watch the rocks.
So as far as I know, not another human alive knows about this spot except for me, my buddy, and now you.
- You ready? - Yeah.
Well, go on.
Yeah, you said it.
- Hey, you hungry? - Yeah.
Yeah? Well A special spot deserves special food-- man food.
And you can't tell your mom or your brother, okay? - Open up.
- Really? - Hey, we're in the woods, right? - Right.
Who needs crackers when you're in the woods? - Not me.
- All right, then.
Commence firing.
Yeah, that's good.
All right.
Who's ready for some fishing? - Me.
- Okay.
Sir.
At ease.
I just wanted to thank you for taking over that rot-c tour this morning.
Happy to help.
- How's Claudia Joy? - Appears to be okay, thanks.
- Please give her my best.
- I will.
Just no accounting for life, is there? Sir? As soldiers we're used to being in harm's way.
If there's bad news, it usually involves one of us.
But Everyone's vulnerable Every minute, every day.
Whole thing can turn on a dime.
Yes, sir.
Carry on.
Thanks for your patience.
I know that glucose test is no fun.
It's the fasting that's no fun.
The results aren't good, Claudia Joy.
I'm sorry to tell you this, but you have type 2 diabetes.
That can't be right.
I watch my weight, I exercise.
I understand.
You don't fit the stereotype.
But about 20% of type 2 diabetics don't.
That's 1-in-5.
Is there any history in your family? My grandmother, but she was overweight.
This doesn't make sense.
The symptoms have probably been there for a while.
Have you had any unexplained tiredness lately, walking up stairs, maybe? Um, once in a while, when I'm carrying laundry or What about thirst? I try to stay hydrated.
But after you drink, are you still thirsty? Sometimes.
It's the south.
I've treated you for two urinary tract infections in the past nine months.
Taken singly, none of these problems is terribly damning, but viewed as a whole, it paints an entirely different picture.
I'm sorry, but you're wrong.
Can't the test be-- be wrong? There's always the possibility of clinical error, but-- Let's take the test again.
There is another test, the a-1-c.
That would show us your average blood glucose over the past few months.
- There is no refuting those results.
- I want to take that test now.
Please.
Oh, darn.
Yes? Hi.
Hello.
It's, uh, Roxy Leblanc.
- I'm here to pick up-- - Finn will be right there.
Okeydokey.
- Hi, mom! - Hey, there.
He was a perfect gentleman.
Oh, I'm glad to hear it.
Thanks for having me over.
We should get them together again soon.
- Can we? - Sure.
Anytime.
- Cool.
Bye, Finn.
- See you at school.
- So you had fun? - It was great.
Good.
Buddy, you are a fish magnet.
We've pretty much hit our legal limit.
Do we have to go? Couple more.
Gotta leave some for next time.
What is it? I thought I spotted Mr.
Fred.
Who's Mr.
Fred? I met Mr.
Fred the first time I fished this spot.
I'd been out here an hour, maybe two, hadn't caught much.
Then I felt this pull.
Only stronger.
That fish yanked me so hard, it nearly popped me outta my boots.
Then snap! Broke me off.
- Man.
- I know.
Then I heard this splash, and Mr.
Fred had jumped clear out of the water.
And right hand to god, T.
J.
, that fish was as big as my arm.
Did you ever hook him again? Nope.
That's why I've been waiting to bring you out here.
Make sure you were strong enough to give Mr.
Fred a real run for his money.
Think we'll see him? Always a chance.
Scrounger's stable.
Chopper's flying him to Baghdad.
He'll get back in the game, man.
The guy is unstoppable.
Man, did you see his leg? It was like hamburger.
At least he's alive.
What kind of life is that? No leg? Hey, we don't know that.
Maybe they can save it.
Just promise me something, all right? If I buy it in the sandbox, you call my folks, tell 'em I did my job, you tell 'em that I was-- What are you talking about? We're outta here in two weeks and a haircut, bro.
Your mom's gonna be all over you next month crying for new grandkids, right? Just promise me.
No way.
Nothing's gonna happen.
I'd do it for you.
Nobody's calling anybody, all right? Mom, are we poor? What? Where did you get that idea? Byron's got a trampoline, a swimming pool and a wooden fort bigger than the one at school.
He does? He even has a computer and a tv in his room.
Wow.
That's a lot of stuff.
- Yeah.
- But, you know, stuff doesn't really make a person rich or poor.
It doesn't? Heck, no.
I mean, we may not have a lot of stuff, but we've got plenty of things that other people don't have.
Like Lucky? Yeah, like Lucky.
But also like a roof over our heads and clothes on our back and food in our bellies.
A lot of people don't even have that.
- They don't? - No.
But more importantly, we have each other, right? Like your dad and T.
J.
and all of our friends.
So we're not poor.
Do you feel poor? No, but I wish we had a pool.
Yeah, well, me, too.
Come here.
You want to wash the car? Y'all can't still be hungry.
- I'd eat more.
- Me, too.
Did you boys come home with hollow legs I don't know about? Fresh fish is the best fish, right, dad? Right.
It sounds like everyone had a pretty great day.
The best day ever.
Can I go to the secret fishing hole, dad? When you're a little older, pal.
- It's not fair.
- It's a long hike, buddy.
Yeah, you just need to grow some first so Mr.
Fred doesn't pull you into the pond.
Who's Mr.
Fred? Only the biggest fish in the state of South Carolina.
Okay, who's ready for more fish?! - Me! - I am.
Hey, mom? Jeremy.
Is everything all right? Yeah, everything's cool.
Just thought I'd check in on you.
Dad still in D.
C.
? Yeah, till next week.
So How are you? Anything going on? No, not much.
Same old, same old.
How about you? No.
Nothing much here either.
I'm really looking forward to coming home.
Oh, me, too.
It'll be so nice to have the family together again.
Yeah.
You know, there is one thing.
Wait till you see what your father bought.
What? A motorcycle.
No way.
Seriously? A Harley.
Can you believe it? It's good to hear your voice, mom.
Yours, too.
Hurry up and come home, okay? That's my plan.
Diabetes? You're sure? We performed two different tests.
How is that possible? Claudia Joy takes care of herself.
She's-- We've been over this, Michael.
We don't understand how diabetes works in all people, general Holden.
But now that the diagnosis has been confirmed, our focus has to be on treatment.
How serious is this? It's serious.
Some cases are more severe than others, but this disease is the leading cause of blindness in adults, kidney failure, amputations.
That's the scary part.
The good part is that it's manageable.
People with diabetes can lead full, satisfying lives as long as they make their health their number one priority.
How do we do that? I'd like to start insulin therapy immediately.
We may be able to consider oral medications in the future, but right now, your body requires insulin to normalize your glucose.
You're both gonna need to learn how to administer the injections and monitor your glucose levels, Claudia Joy.
We need to talk about diet, keeping good records.
There's a lot to learn.
It's a lot to process.
But I know what a strong woman you are.
Thank you.
You're going to be fine.
Nurse Albright is a certified diabetes educator.
She's here now.
We'll stay as long as it takes to make sure that you both feel comfortable with everything you have to do now.
Thank you.
I'll leave you alone for a few minutes.
You let me know when you're ready.
~ Willow's Team ~