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Favorite Scenes   November 22, 1993 N is unpacking her suitcase. N: …toothbrush, and of course, this! ( a baseball cap) No brain tumor patient should be without it. R: Okay, that’s it. I am going to have them bring in a roll-away and we’ll spend the night talking, joking, telling stories… N: No, Rachel, please, please. I’m a big girl now, I can sleep alone. Besides, you snore. R: What? N: Yes, haven’t I ever mentioned that to you before, and if this is going to be my last 24 hours on earth, I want a good night’s sleep. R: Mom, you don’t have to pretend with me, okay? It’s okay to be afraid. It’s okay to need someone. N: Of course I need you. I was so grateful that you drove me here, and I know that you’ll be thinking about me. R: NO, I meant Bo. You know, it’s not too late to call him and tell him the truth.   Bo is visiting Cassie. She is staring at her sonogram. B: I know words don’t mean much at a time like this, but, uh…I think I know a little bit about how you’re feeling, Cassie. When I lost Sarah, I thought I’d lost everything. And if it hadn’t been for a lot of other people, people that cared more for me than I cared for myself, I never would have made it. But I did. I did, and so will you. You just let the people that love you help you. N: And will they put me under completely or will I be awake for part of the operation, and how long will I be in recovery? Ben: Now, Nora, we went over these details, no? Now, Dr. Dowling will be stopping by later to check on you, he’ll be able to answer all your questions. In the meantime, is there anything you need, anything I can get for you? N: Oh, yes, you can tell me I’ll be out tomorrow, as good as new. Oh, didn’t think so. In that case, I’ll have a vodka martini, three olives. Ben: Well, would you settle for some lime gelatin? N: Hospitals, it’s a wonder anyone ever gets well. Ben: Well, it helps to have people around who love and care for you. N: (looks at R) Well, I’m lucky that way. Ben: Yeah, well, you also have another hand. I’m sure Bo Buchanan would like to hold it. N: Okay, that’s it. I feel like I’m in some crazy episode of the Twilight Zone, everywhere I go, everyone I meet, you’ve got to tell Bo, you’ve got to tell Bo, you’ve got to tell Bo. You know what? If the operation doesn’t kill me, all this good advice from people I hardly know will do the trick! Ben: Nora, I’m speaking from a medical point of view. Now, I want you strong, focused, and ready to face the surgery. With Bo at your side, you could… N: The answer is no. Ben: But Nora, you… R: Dr. Price, if this is your idea of keeping her calm… Ben: Miss Gannon, would you just please… N: Excuse me! I was calm until the two of you started bringing up Bo. I’ve made my decision, understand? Thank you. Now, if you don’t mind, I’d like a little privacy. You see, I have this incredibly sexy backless number to get into, and I understand blue is quite the color for this fall. Ben: I’ll stop by later with Dr. Dowling. (leaves) N: You too, Rachel. (she leaves- N picks up phone) Selma Hanen: Hello? N: Guess who? S: Nora. Nora, is that you? N: What, do you have another daughter stashed away somewhere? Ma, I need your help. S: What’s wrong? N: Nothing. Nothing at all. I just, I just- I just need you to do me a favor, that’s all.   B: When you’re feeling a little better, we ought to spend another weekend up there at the cabin. You remember the last time? When you and Nora were, you were just hiking through the woods, just gathering all those weeds, and Andrew and I couldn’t figure out what the heck you were going to do with them, and you brought them all back, and you decorated everything from the rectory to our house, everything. I still don’t get the appeal. C: They’re dried flowers. They don’t die. B: Cassie, I’m just trying to remind you that things will get better. It may not seem like it right now, but they will.   S: I know when something is wrong, Nora. N: Ma, nothing’s wrong- okay. Bo’s talking marriage. S: Well, that usually happens when two people get engaged. N: No, I mean he’s talking marriage soon, like now. S: Ah. So that explains it. N: Explains what? S: The terror in your voice. N: I’m not exactly afraid. S: Then why are you using your father and me to keep Bo from finding you? Where are you, anyway? N: You know, ma, I think, I think the less you know, the better. I hate asking you to lie for me like this, but it’s, it’s- as long as Bo thinks I’m there in Chicago… S: But why the lies and all the sneaking around? Now, I know you, Nora. There’s something that you’re not telling me. N: Mom, I don’t want to hurt Bo’s feelings, and I don’t want to get in a fight, and- I just need a week or so to sort things out, that’s all, and then I- please, mom, I need your help, it’s just a little white lie! S: It’s easy for you to say! N: Please, you don’t know how much this means! S: You always could out argue your momma. N: Thanks, mom. Momma? S: Yes, sweetheart? N: I love you. Give daddy a kiss for me, okay? R: (entering) It won’t help. Grandma Selma is the worst liar in the world. Bo will figure out that you’re not in Chicago, then he’ll come to me and he’ll want to know the truth. N: Well, you know what? I’ll probably be dead by then, so it won’t really matter. R: Will you just stop it? Just stop, okay! Stop acting like this is all a joke! N: Oh, sweetheart, I’m sorry… R: No! You are not sorry. You expect everyone to lie for you like it’s no big deal. Well, mom, it is a big deal. I don’t think I can handle it. Mom, I’m not as strong as you. N: Rachel, honey, I just, I don’t want to be a burden to you, that’s all. R: Mom, you’re not a burden. You’re my mother. And I don’t want to lose you, okay? N: Rachel… R: Look, why does it have to be all or nothing with you? Either you’re completely in charge or you’re a burden. Now, you want me to be a rock, but I can’t be. Mommy, I am so afraid, I don’t want you to die, I’m… N: Oh, sweetie… R: I can’t… N: Sweetie, please… R: How do I tell Bo, tell me? How do I tell daddy? What do I do with everything you’ve left behind, including me? Mom, it’s not fair. It’s not fair. (leaves room crying) N: (crying) Rachel, Rachel, please, wait!   R is out in the hall. Ben comes along. Ben: Rachel? What is it, what’s wrong? Come on, you need to get away from here. R: No, no, no, she- she needs me. Ben: No, no, no, hey, hey- I’m the doctor around here. Now you come on- Wanda’s, all right? Let’s go. (he leads her out)   B is at home. B: Hello? N: Hello Llanview, this is Chicago. B: Well, it’s about time, stranger, I’ve been waiting around here all afternoon! N: I’m sorry I couldn’t call earlier, but you know how the air traffic is over O’Hare. You know, I thought we’d never land! B: So you made it despite the snow. N: Snow? B: Yeah, on the news, they said Chicago was in for a heck of a blizzard. N: Oh, you know how they love to exaggerate. I don’t want to talk about the weather, Bo, do you? B: No, no, as a matter of fact, I want you to hop on the next plane back here. It just- it seems like forever since we said goodbye. N: I know. I miss you, God, I miss you so much. B: Nora, you’re not crying, are you? Is it your dad? N: No, no, no, no, he’s fine. B: He’s fine? I thought you said he was going into the hospital. N: He is, I’m at the hospital, but the doctors said so far all the signs are good. B: Well, that’s great news. It is. Hey, tell your mom and dad I can’t wait to meet them in person. Just as soon as Max and Luna say their I do’s, I’m going to be on the next plane to Chicago. N: Well, there’s no rush, Bo. B: What, you don’t want me there? N: Of course I want you. It’s just- if I stop and think about… Give me the news from home, you know, how are Cassie and Andrew? B: Well, honestly, they’re like two people that just survived a train wreck, you know, Andrew’s, Andrew’s tough, and Cassie seems to have that inner strength that’s going to see her through this. I wish she was as strong as you, red. N: Well, maybe I’m not as strong as you think I am. B: Nora? N: (a nurse enters) I gotta go. B: Is something wrong? N: No, no, of course not, it’s just, a nurse just came in and she is going to do whatever it is that nurses do. B: Oh, hey, tell your dad not to take any guff off those nurses, okay, unless, of course, they’re good looking. N: Okay, I will. Bye. I’ll call you tomorrow night. B: Whoa, whoa- aren’t you forgetting something? N: I’m sorry. I love you. B: How much? N: This much times two. B: Me too. Times too. (blows kiss)   Ben and R are at Wanda’s. Ben: (approaching table) Everything’s okay. Hank’s on his way. R: What? You told my father? Oh, God. Ben: Well, I thought you needed someone to talk to, since you wouldn’t tell me what’s got you so upset. R: You know what’s got me upset. My mother’s going under the knife and she wants it to be our little secret. Now, how am I supposed to sit here with my father and not tell him about it? Ben: Maybe you shouldn’t. But maybe Hank ought to know. R: Of course he should know. Imean, they’re divorced, but they still care about each other, and Bo should know, she’s his fiancée, but she won’t let me tell them now, will, she? So I have to ___(?) Ben: Where are you going? R: Anyplace but here. Look, my mother asked me not to tell, and when I see my father, he’s going to know that I’m covering up. H: (enters) Rachel, baby, look, I got here as fast as I could. What’s wrong? (she falls into his arms, crying) Whoa, whoa, hey… H: Ben, you want to tell me what’s going on? Ben: It’s not up to me, Hank. I’ll see you later, Rachel. (leaves) H: Come on, baby, sit down and talk to me. R: No, no, I can’t. I gave her my word. H: Who? Rachel, who’s got you so upset? R: Daddy, please- please don’t ask me. H: Look, baby, I am trying to help you. And if you don’t talk to me, I can’t. R: It’s mom, okay? H: Okay, what about your mother? R: She’s sick, and she doesn’t want anyone to know. H: That sounds like Nora. How sick is she? Rachel? R: Daddy, she has a brain tumor. She’s been fighting it for weeks and weeks, ignoring it, her eyesight has gotten worse- she’s at the hospital right now and they’re going to perform the surgery in the morning. H: Why didn’t she- Does Sheila know about this? R: Look, please, no, don’t get angry. She made us promise not to tell anyone. But this surgery is risky, and if something should happen… H: Well, that’s exactly why she should have everybody around her! What is wrong with that woman? She always has to be tougher than everybody else- R: Look, please, please- don’t. H: Listen, baby, I’m sorry, okay? I’m sorry, I know you’re scared. R: Look, I’m terrified. Not just for her, but- I might let her down. Look what happened when I saw you, I couldn’t stop crying, what’s going to happen when I see Bo? H: Bo? You mean, he doesn’t even know about this? R: No, she says she doesn’t want to be a burden. H: Oh, man. Oh, my God. The woman’s about to have brain surgery and she won’t even tell- I cannot believe she left you to cover for her. R: She did not do it to be mean. H: Look, I know. R: Daddy, she is so scared, she can’t even show it, she’s just… H: I know, baby, I know. Well, I’m glad that you told me. R: No, I let her down. H: No, you didn’t. Not even a little bit. You did the right thing by telling me, Rachel. Because I know what has to be done. Come here. (hugs her)   November 24, 1993 A nurse comes in N’s room Nurse: Nora Gannon? N: Present! Nurse: You’re scheduled to have neurosurgery tomorrow, aren’t you? N: Oh, no, actually, I just came here for the Thanksgiving Day feast. I’ve heard the chef left The Four Seasons to come, his chateau briand is to die for. (laughs) It’s a joke. Want me to explain it to you, I can explain it to you… Nurse: Lie still. N: Rachel! I’m sorry, it’s my daughter, I can’t lie still when my daughter comes in. R: And she’s not alone. N: What? R: Look, mom, I know you didn’t want anyone else to know, but, I’m sorry, I couldn’t deal with it by myself, so- so I brought someone with me. H: Hello, Nora. How you doing, baby?   Most of the town is decorating Serenity Springs for M and L’s wedding. B: It’s like an old fashioned farm raising, isn’t it? Too bad Nora’s not here- she would love this. Clint: Her dad’s kind of sick, is her? B: Yeah. Otherwise, she’d never miss a shindig like this.   N: What, can’t a girl get a few routine tests without everyone in the world traipsing into her room? H: Nora, there is nothing routine about brain surgery. R: I told him everything, I’m sorry, I had to. N: Well, you should be sorry. My medical condition is confidential, strictly confidential. H: Nora, don’t blame Rachel. There’s no way she could have carried something around so heavy without sharing it with somebody. R: Look, you couldn’t do it, that’s why you told me… N: I made it very clear to you, young lady… R: I know, that you wanted it to be secret, but I couldn’t, mom, I’m sorry. I couldn’t stomach the lying and the plotting to keep this from Bo and everyone else that loves you. H: Yeah, it’s making me pretty queasy myself. N: Will you just stay out of this, Hank! It’s none of your business. H: Yeah, because you don’t want it to be, Nora. N: That’s right! H: Guess what, huh? I’m making it my business. N: I’d like you to leave. Both of you. H: Rachel, would you excuse us, please? There’s something I want to say to your mother. Alone. N: I’ve got enough on my mind without having to get a lecture from you. H: Look, Nora, turning your head is not going to make me go away, any more than closing your eyes is going to make the world disappear. (she is fluffing her pillow) Look, Nora- I care about you. Enough to tell you that you are risking one of the best things in your life by keeping Bo in the dark. N: Oh, this is a lecture! (pounds pillow) H: Oh, come on, I thought you would have learned your lesson by now! N: What is that supposed to me? H: Nora, we’ve had this talk before, remember? Look, you were all ready to call it quits with Bo when you convinced yourself that you were responsible for Sarah’s death. You were ready to bail out, but Bo flat out refused to let you do it. N: I was scared. H: Yeah. But you got through it. And now you and Bo are closer than ever. So I thought the next time that something shook you, that your first instinct wouldn’t be to run away, but obviously I was wrong, Nora, because here you are shutting Bo out all over again. N: I really don’t want to discuss this. H: Oh, come on, Nora, wake up, will you? Look, you’re not sparing Bo any pain… N: Will you stop it? H: Look, Nora, this is happening because you need Bo. Now that scares you to death. N: Oh, will you cut the analysis? You are a lawyer, not a psychologist. H: A lawyer who knows you damn well. Look, Nora, baby…you know, once upon a time, I loved you more than I thought I could love anyone. N: I loved you, too. H: Yeah. But then we started fighting each other instead of the bigotry, and then you got scared…got scared of me and our love, so you ran. N: Oh, Hank, it was hardly that simple. H: All right. All right, but it was a big part of it, now, wasn’t it? N: All right, yeah, I ran. H: Yeah. And we lost something very special, Nora. Now, what you don’t seem to know is that you’re about to lose again. Come on, baby, don’t let that happen. Call Bo tonight. Look, you and Bo, you’ve shared so many good times- if you love that man, share this with him, too. N: I don’t think I can. H: Baby, you have to. Because I just might tell him myself. N: You don’t have to tell Bo anything, okay? I am afraid. H: Of telling Bo? N: Of telling him, of needing him, of hurting him, and I do want to run away, but I’m not going to. I’m going to call him this time, I’m going to tell him the truth. H: Hey, that’s my girl. Good for you. Good for both of you. So look, you want me to hang around for a while? N: You hate hospitals. H: So what? N: So go home to Sheila. It’s Thanksgiving. (they hug) H: Look, I can wait out in the hall, you know, for a while if you want, just in case you need something. N: No, no, no. Rikki will be with me. H: All right. Okay, well, listen, you go get them tomorrow, kid. N: Oh, thank goodness you didn’t say, break a leg, or knock them dead. H: (to R) Hey, baby. You got your wish. You take care of that lady. R: Yeah. (they hug- he leaves) Did he mean that you’re going… N: I’m telling Bo. R: That’s great! See, that’s why I had to let him know what was going on, so that he could… N: Brow beat me until I cried uncle. R: I’m sorry. Do you forgive me? N: That depends. R: Oh what? N: Whether what’s in that polka dot bag is for me. R: (laughs) Actually, it’s for both of us. I though how unfair it was that you had to spend Thanksgiving and not have your favorite feast, so, I brought the feast to you. Voila! (a bottle of juice) N: Feasts just aren’t what they used to be, are they? R: Hey, look, I know that you can’t have solid foods the night before you go into surgery, so I thought we could, you know, use our imagination, okay? (N laughs) Here we go. Turkey with all the trimmings. N: That was the best Thanksgiving Day feast I have ever had, even if I couldn’t chew it. R: Well, you can eat twice as much next year. N: You bet. (pause) You know what, you’ve got to get going. You’ve got to meet Kevin. R: Yeah. N: Oh, and before you go, I have something I want you to have. R: What? N: This. (holds out a spoon) R: Baubie Rachel’s teaspoon? N: Yeah. It’s all that left of what your great-grandmother got out of Russia when she was trying to escape the pogroms. Take it. R: Mom… N: Take it. Please. I remember Baubie would be telling us about how her mother sewed it into the lining of her coat for safe keeping… R: And there were Cossacks in the street. N: And the fireman. Yes, Baubie was barely even four, but she knew even then that something important was happening, something important and terrible, too. R: Mom, this, this is one of your treasures, you always have it close by, why are you giving it to me? N: Because something important is happening here, too. R: Yeah, but it doesn’t have to be terrible. Mom, it won’t be, everything’s… N: Rachel, you were named after your great grandmother, why don’t you just do what she did, take the spoon and keep it for safekeeping. Besides, I can’t even eat solid food. R: It’s going to be fine. N: Well, now, let’s not get all carried away here, all right? If I make it through the operation, I’m coming after the spoon. (R laughs) R: Well then, I’ll have to make sure I have it with me when you wake up, right? (they hug) Oh, mom. I am glad you decided to tell Bo. I love you. N: I love you too. R: I’ll see you in the morning, though, okay? N: Okay. R: Mom? Was Baubie Rachel afraid when the pogroms started? N: She was scared to death.   Ben: Hello, Nora. N: Hi. Ben: Nora, I’d like you to meet Dr. Dowling. N: It’s very nice to meet you. D: Hello, Nora. How are you feeling? N: Oh, well… D: Well, we won’t stay long. We just need to tie up a few of the final details. N: Oh, great, why don’t we just give it to me straight, and, uh, tell me the worst. D: I don’t have any reason to think that the worst is going to happen, do you? N: I think about it a lot, yeah. Ben: Nora always starts with the worst case scenario. D: I see. All right. The tumor is beginning to press up against the optic nerve, which is why you’ve been having periods of sight loss. Actually, when we operate, we’ll have to work very close to that nerve. N: Which means the procedure is very delicate and dangerous and that I could go blind. D: It is a possibility, yes. But if you don’t have the operation, the odds are extremely high that the tumor will eventually lead to total blindness anyway. N: Why don’t we just cut to the good stuff? What are the odds of death during this operation? D: Surgery is always a major trauma to the system. But judging from your past medical history, I see no reason to expect any problem like that. N: Okay. Well, death, unexpected, blindness, maybe. D: Nora. If you do lose your sight as a result of this operation… Ben: Which is a low risk and not a likelihood. D: But even if that does happen, you should know that most blind people live lives as productive as sighted people. N: Oh, this sounds like the pep talk I’ll get just before I start learning Braille! Ben: Nora… N: I really, this is the last thing I want to talk about right now is how productive I can be when I can’t see anything anymore. If you don’t mind, I just would really like to get some sleep now. Ben: Now, Nora, I do…okay. Whatever you say. D: Goodnight, Nora. Ben: I’ll see you in the morning. (they leave)   Nora picks up Bo’s picture and picks up the phone. Bo and Rachel are at Serenity Springs. R: So, has mom called you yet? B: Yeah, I spoke to her earlier this evening from Chicago. Why? Did something else happen? R: No, nothing. B: You seem a little bit upset for a ‘No, nothing.’ R: No, I just feel bad that she can’t be here with us for the holidays. B: I know! Well, I hate that too, but you wait until next Thanksgiving. We are all going to be together and we are going to have the time of our lives. Clint: Here you go, Bo. You’ve got to be hungry after all that work. B: You know, it’s a year ago tonight that Sarah was killed. C: I know. B: I never thought I’d celebrate Thanksgiving again. C: You miss her, don’t you? B: Yeah. I’ll mourn her forever, but these days, I (space!!!!) C: Because of Nora? B: Yeah. Yeah, because she’s given me back something that I’ll always thank her for. My life. Ty: Hey, Bo, you’ve got a phone call. B: Who is it? T: She didn’t say. B: She? T: Yeah. B: Thanks. Hello? (N is on the other end) Hello? (she can’t bring herself to say anything) Hello?? (hangs up) C: Everything okay? B: I’m not sure