- Nancy Krieger Weston: I saw Doctor Silverman today.
- Elliot Weston: Yeah, she give you The Pill?
- Nancy Krieger Weston: She gave me The Pill.
- Elliot Weston: Greeeat.
- Nancy Krieger Weston: And she also took this picture, with the ultra sound thing, you know, like when I was pregnant...
- [Elliot looks up from his bowl of ice-cream in immediate alarm]
- Nancy Krieger Weston: ...only I'm not, and uhm, she's found this little thing.
- Elliot Weston: [looking up at her again] What thing?
- Nancy Krieger Weston: Well, she thought, but she was wrong, that it was some kind of early fibroid.
- Elliot Weston: Wait, wait, wait. Fibroid? What's that?
- Nancy Krieger Weston: Nothing. I mean, it's something, but it doesn't really matter because it wasn't the thing, the fibroid thing, so she was wrong about that.
- Ethan Weston: [from his room] Mom!
- Nancy Krieger Weston: Just a minute, honey!
- [to Elliot]
- Nancy Krieger Weston: Uhm, so it was nothing.
- Elliot Weston: Well, that's good.
- Nancy Krieger Weston: Right. I know. it's just uhm, it's just that my ovary, either my right one or my left one has dropped behind my uterus, and she just, you know, wants to do a test.
- Elliot Weston: A test? You said it was nothing.
- Nancy Krieger Weston: Well, it is basically. I mean that's what Doctor Silverman said. She just wants to look inside with this periscope...
- Elliot Weston: Wait a - what, a periscope? What is - what is that? What is this periscope?
- Nancy Krieger Weston: It's called a laperoscomy. I mean, I've got a pamphlet. Wait, wait, let me show you.
- Elliot Weston: [grabbing her arm] Nance, whoa, whoa, wait wait wait. When are you going to do this periscope thing?
- Nancy Krieger Weston: Whenever.
- Elliot Weston: When?
- Nancy Krieger Weston: Friday.
- Elliot Weston: Friday? This Friday? Like day-after-tomorrow Friday?
- Nancy Krieger Weston: Hey, Mom. Uhm. I want to ask you something. This might sound really insane.
- Eleanor Krieger: Go ahead. I like insane questions.
- Nancy Krieger Weston: How can you know what your life is?
- Eleanor Krieger: Your life?
- Nancy Krieger Weston: Yeah. Do you ever get to really see it? Just for what it is? just simply for what it is?
- Eleanor Krieger: [perplexed] I don't know.
- Nancy Krieger Weston: [laughing] Well, that helps a lot, Mom.
- Eleanor Krieger: [laughing herself] Well, I mean it. I don't know. Sometimes I've thought that I did. But I think you only get it in bits. I don't know.
- Nancy Krieger Weston: [as Eleanor is getting out of the car] Mom?
- Eleanor Krieger: Yeah?
- Nancy Krieger Weston: [clearly wanting to tell her but changing her mind] I'll... see you next week.
- Eleanor Krieger: See you next week.
- Michael Steadman: You're amazing! You're amazing. I mean, we aced that meeting.
- Elliot Weston: You think so?
- Michael Steadman: Are you kidding me? Did you see the client? He was drooling. I mean, he could practically smell the money.
- Elliot Weston: You think so?
- Michael Steadman: Tonight? We're celebrating tonight. The four of us. Hey, Katherine? Katherine! Would you get my wife on the phone?
- [to Elliot]
- Michael Steadman: Where do you want to go?
- Elliot Weston: Mike, I don't know.
- Michael Steadman: C'mon, name it. It's on me.
- Elliot Weston: Mike, I don't know. I don't know. You pick it.
- Katherine: [beeping on intercom] Hope's on five-seven-three-eight.
- Michael Steadman: [on phone with Hope] Hi, honey. Good. Listen, do you think there's any way we can get a sitter for tonight? Really? Oh, that's good. Okay, would you try to call her? Yeah? Good. I have a little surprise. Yeah. Okay. I'll call - no, you call me back. Okay. Good. I miss you too. Okay. Bye, sweetie.
- Michael Steadman: [to Elliot] Le Bec Fin. Hope loves Le Bec Fin. Katherine? Hey, Katherine! Katherine, would you, uhm, see about getting reservations for tonight?
- Elliot Weston: [realizing, changing his mind] Michael...
- Michael Steadman: Wait a second. Four for tonight at Le Bec Fin? Eight o'clock? Thank you.
- Elliot Weston: Mike. About tonight...
- Katherine: [beeping] Hope's on the line. She says she can get a sitter and what's the surprise?
- Michael Steadman: Uh, just tell her to hold on a second?
- [to Elliot]
- Michael Steadman: Do you want us to pick you up? Seven thirty?
- Elliot Weston: [reluctantly] No, Mike. Michael, I don't think tonight is going to be good for us. For Nancy.
- Michael Steadman: Oh. Uh, tomorrow?
- Elliot Weston: [very reluctantly] I don't know about tomorrow. You see... uhm... Nancy's... she's sick. Nancy's uhm...
- Michael Steadman: [not getting it] She's sick?
- Elliot Weston: Yeah. Yeah, she's sick, Mike. She's got cancer.
- [Michael pales as the news hits home with him]
- Elliot Weston: So I'm sorry, okay?
- Michael Steadman: [quietly] Okay.
- Elliot Weston: Nancy...
- Nancy Krieger Weston: Just leave me alone. I don't even want to look at you. Just leave me alone.
- Elliot Weston: No. Honey, you're not going through this alone. You can't go through this alone!
- Nancy Krieger Weston: Don't touch me.
- Elliot Weston: Nancy.
- Nancy Krieger Weston: [beginning to break down] Stay away from me.
- Elliot Weston: Nancy, no. I'm right here. You need me and I'm right here and I'm not going away. I'm not going anywhere.
- Nancy Krieger Weston: [slapping Elliot's hands away and then slapping at him repeatedly] You son of a bitch! I hate you!
- Elliot Weston: Easy, easy, easy! Nancy, stop! No, honey, stop! Stop! It's okay! You're going to be okay!
- Nancy Krieger Weston: No, it is not okay!
- Elliot Weston: [tackling her onto the bed] You're going to be okay!
- Nancy Krieger Weston: It is not okay! I have cancer.
- Elliot Weston: Stop.
- Nancy Krieger Weston: It's not okay.
- Elliot Weston: Stop.
- Nancy Krieger Weston: I can't fight this.
- Elliot Weston: [insistent] Yes, we can.
- Nancy Krieger Weston: I'm going to die.
- Elliot Weston: Nancy, no, you're not. We're going to fight this. We're going to fight this together.
- Nancy Krieger Weston: I don't know if I can do this...
- Nancy Krieger Weston: [looking around, feeling hopeless, looking at Elliot above her, realizing, and suddenly clinging to him desperately] Make love to me, Elliot. Make love to me, please! Please make love to me!
- Elliot Weston: Shhhhh...
- Nancy Krieger Weston: Please...
- Nancy Krieger Weston: [grabbing the kids' lunchboxes off of the counter] I've got peanut butter; I've got tuna fish.
- Melissa Steadman: [watching as Nancy lays down on the floor and begins to stretch out her back] You okay, Nance?
- Nancy Krieger Weston: Yeah, I'm fine. You know, it's just that I've gotta go to the dentist today, and then I have to go to the Art Center, and then pick up Ethan, and my back is conveniently out.
- Melissa Steadman: Ooh. How's the pain? Is it, uhm, like stabbing and agonizing? Or is it more, you know, existential?
- Nancy Krieger Weston: It's kinda both: agonizing and existential.
- Melissa Steadman: Oh God, I know what you're going through.
- Nancy Krieger Weston: You do?
- Melissa Steadman: It can be really depressing. Cause you've succeeded.
- Nancy Krieger Weston: Right.
- Melissa Steadman: I mean, I never realized how happy I was being a failure until I became successful.
- Nancy Krieger Weston: Right!
- Nancy Krieger Weston: [looking up in the bathroom mirror and turning to face a rather spooky pair of twin girls] Hi.
- Twin: This is for kids in here.
- Nancy Krieger Weston: I know. I just wasn't feeling so good, so...
- Twin: What's wrong with you?
- Nancy Krieger Weston: Nothing. I was just feeling a little sick. I'm okay.
- Twin: [looking at her sister] She vomited.
- Twin: I know.
- Twin: Are you a mother?
- Nancy Krieger Weston: Yes, I am. I'm a mother. I'm Ethan's mother? Ethan Weston?
- Twin: [after exchanging a knowing glance] Does Ethan have any fish at home?
- Nancy Krieger Weston: [later, telling Elliot before bed] So I said, 'Yes, he has fish.' And then they looked at each other, really suspicious, and one of them looks at me and says, 'Well, that's interesting, because some of ours just happen to be missing.'
- Elliot Weston: [laughing] What are you telling me, Ethan's a fish thief?
- Nancy Krieger Weston: No, I mean the whole thing, it was like suddenly being caught in a Diane Arbus picture. Do you ever get that feeling?
- Elliot Weston: Hourly.
- Nancy Krieger Weston: [laughing] Me too.
- Elliot Weston: You know, we never should have had her take our wedding pictures.
- Dr. Silverman: You okay otherwise?
- Nancy Krieger Weston: Yeah, I'm fine. I'm just... well, I wrote this book, a children's book. Ethan and I wrote it together, and it's, uhm, going to be coming out on Monday.
- Dr. Silverman: That's great! Oh, Nancy, that's terrific!
- Nancy Krieger Weston: Yeah, it is. I just wish that it were over with so I could move on, you know? I'm just like moderately flipping out, I mean, nothing major or anything. It's just tension. This lower back pain which I inherited from my dad. He always had lower back pain.
- Dr. Silverman: Well, I'll give you a muscle relaxer.
- [continuing her examination]
- Dr. Silverman: All right, hold still. Right... there. Do you feel anything?
- Nancy Krieger Weston: No.
- Dr. Silverman: That's good. You might have a trace of an early fibroid, which I doubt. You're a little young. But that could be the cause of your lower back pain. So you're not crazy. You have time for an ultra sound?
- Nancy Krieger Weston: [nodding] Mmm-hrm.
- Elliot Weston: Wait a sec, wait a sec, wait a sec, Nancy.
- Nancy Krieger Weston: It's just a test, Elliot. That's all it is.
- Elliot Weston: Fine, fine! I just want to know more about it.
- Elliot Weston: [turning to see Ethan standing in the doorway] Hey, pal.
- Nancy Krieger Weston: Hey, Ethan.
- Ethan Weston: Mom, if you leave turtles on the radiator, do they fry and get dead?
- Nancy Krieger Weston: [puzzled, thinking about it] Well, it depends, why?
- Ethan Weston: Just curious.
- [Ethan walks away to leave Nancy and Elliot to look at one another, confounded]
- Ethan Weston: Mom?
- Nancy Krieger Weston: What?
- Ethan Weston: Know what turtles are?
- Nancy Krieger Weston: What's that?
- Ethan Weston: They're fascinating.
- Nancy Krieger Weston: [smiling at his use of his new word] I agree. Now, c'mere. You know I've been thinking. We had so much fun doing our book together, I was thinking maybe we should do another project together. You have any ideas?
- Ethan Weston: I don't.
- Nancy Krieger Weston: No? Well, I do. I was thinking, maybe we could do one this time about forests, only real ones. We could go exploring leaves and animals and stuff.
- Ethan Weston: I hate nature.
- Nancy Krieger Weston: Oh, you do not.
- Ethan Weston: I do.
- Nancy Krieger Weston: Well, turtles are nature. Why don't we do a book about turtles?
- Ethan Weston: Dr. Seuss already did one, Mom.
- Nancy Krieger Weston: [making a face to herself] Okay. Uhm. We could do a book about Indians.
- Ethan Weston: I hate Indians.
- Nancy Krieger Weston: Oh, Ethan, you do not! You don't even know any!
- Ethan Weston: Do you?
- Nancy Krieger Weston: Well... no, I... no, not personally, but... you know, it'd be really great if you thought about it, you know? Maybe think about it in your dreams? About something we could do together?
- Ethan Weston: You mean it?
- Nancy Krieger Weston: Yeah.
- Ethan Weston: Mom?
- Nancy Krieger Weston: Yeah?
- Ethan Weston: I lied about Indians. I like some.
- Nancy Krieger Weston: I know.
- Ethan Weston: Like Apaches. They're fascinating.
- Nancy Krieger Weston: [smiling and kissing him goodnight] Well, then maybe that's what our project should be about: turtles... and Apaches.
- Michael Steadman: [seeing Elliot's expression just as Elliot's phone beeps] You okay?
- Elliot Weston: Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine.
- [the phone continues to beep as he struggles with something to say]
- Elliot Weston: Michael...
- [phone beeps again insistently]
- Michael Steadman: What?
- Elliot's Secretary: [finally over intercom] Mister Drentell on line 5104.
- Elliot Weston: [changing his mind and deciding to pick up the phone] Uh, nothing. Nothing. Hi.
- [Michael listens to Elliot's conversation with Miles for a moment before heading out, tapping Elliot and waving. Elliot waves back]
- Gary Shepherd: [all while Elliot watches Nancy quietly] Why would I make something like that up? Seriously. I swear. I put them both in front of her, right? Runaway Bunny and Ulysses.
- Michael Steadman: And let me guess: she went right to Ulysses?
- Gary Shepherd: Right.
- Susannah Hart: And put it in her mouth. You forgot to mention that, right?
- Michael Steadman: So big deal. Listen. Janey, by the time she was five months old had eaten most of the major early work of Saul Bellow, up to and including 'Henderson the Rain King', but hey, I don't like to brag.
- Hope Murdoch Steadman: Oh, I'm sure Emma's as bright as a button, Gary.
- Nancy Krieger Weston: Hey, hey, what was that woman on the Lucy Show that was always bragging about her kids?
- Susannah Hart: [definitively] Caroline Appleby. The kid's name was 'Stevie.'
- Gary Shepherd: [turning to her, clearly surprised] I... I thought you hated pop culture?
- Susannah Hart: Lucy isn't pop culture. Lucy is God.
- Nancy Krieger Weston: Elliot? Eli?
- Elliot Weston: [waking abruptly on the couch where he was snoozing] Huh? Are you all right?
- Nancy Krieger Weston: Yeah, I'm all right.
- Elliot Weston: Can I get you something? Some water or something?
- Nancy Krieger Weston: No. I just want to talk.
- Elliot Weston: [trying to rouse himself] Okay, great.
- Nancy Krieger Weston: [still a little out of it from the procedure earlier that day] Can you take Ethan to basketball tomorrow?
- Elliot Weston: Sure.
- Nancy Krieger Weston: And about some other things. I need to talk about some other things.
- Elliot Weston: Okay.
- Nancy Krieger Weston: Like the kids.
- Elliot Weston: The kids?
- Nancy Krieger Weston: Because if something would happen to me, we need to talk. About if something would happen to me. Like their education...
- [the two look at one another and slowly realize]
- Nancy Krieger Weston: ...so you'll take him to basketball tomorrow?
- Elliot Weston: Okay.
- Nancy Krieger Weston: And Elliot?
- Elliot Weston: Mmm-hmm?
- Nancy Krieger Weston: Nobody knows.
- Elliot Weston: What?
- Nancy Krieger Weston: About this. This is just us. Understand?
- Elliot Weston: I understand.
- Nancy Krieger Weston: [entering a basketball gym where Ethan is shooting baskets all alone] Ethan?
- Ethan Weston: [whining] Where were you?
- Nancy Krieger Weston: What do you mean?
- Ethan Weston: You were going to come and watch me. You said so.
- Nancy Krieger Weston: I know. I'm sorry. I completely forgot. I had to do something with Grandma.
- Ethan Weston: You said you were going to come and watch me.
- Nancy Krieger Weston: Okay. I'm sorry. Okay? Now come on, let's go.
- Ethan Weston: I want to go to Nicholas's.
- Nancy Krieger Weston: No, we can't go to Nicholas's tonight because we have Melissa's party.
- Ethan Weston: [insistent] I want to go to Nicholas's.
- Nancy Krieger Weston: No, we can't, because I can't pick you up there.
- Ethan Weston: I want to go to Nicholas's!
- Nancy Krieger Weston: [grabbing him and yelling] Fine! Great! You want to go to Nicholas's? Is that what you want? Then I'll take you to Nicholas's! Come on, let's go. Right now.
- Ethan Weston: I'll walk!
- Nancy Krieger Weston: No you won't. I'll drive you!
- Nancy Krieger Weston: [hearing the front door open and close] Ethan? Ethan? Hi.
- Ethan Weston: [subdued] Hi.
- Nancy Krieger Weston: [ironing] Did you have fun at Nicholas's?
- Ethan Weston: [shrugging] I don't know. I guess so.
- Nancy Krieger Weston: [handing him a freshly ironed shirt] Here's your shirt for the party. Hey. I'm sorry about today, for yelling at you like that. I really am.
- Ethan Weston: You are?
- Nancy Krieger Weston: I am. And especially cause tonight, you know, it's our night...
- Ethan Weston: There's something wrong with you.
- Nancy Krieger Weston: What do you mean?
- Ethan Weston: Is there something wrong with you?
- Nancy Krieger Weston: No. There's nothing wrong with me. Okay? Hey. There's nothing wrong.
- Ethan Weston: [clearly not believing her] 'Kay.
- Nancy Krieger Weston: You want me to help you get dressed?
- Ethan Weston: [sighing heavily] It's okay. I'll do it.
- [Elliot and Nancy look up as Dr. Silverman comes into her office and closes the door]
- Dr. Silverman: [seating herself and clearing her throat somberly] Nancy.
- Nancy Krieger Weston: [realizing the news is not going to be good] Okay.
- [turning to Elliot and taking his hand]
- Nancy Krieger Weston: I love you.
- Elliot Weston: [terrified, his voice shaking] I love you.
- Elliot Weston: We're not waiting till Saturday.
- Nancy Krieger Weston: What?
- Elliot Weston: I think you should do this now.
- Nancy Krieger Weston: Now?
- Elliot Weston: Now. Like tomorrow. Now.
- Nancy Krieger Weston: Elliot, I just went over all this. I can't do it tomorrow.
- Elliot Weston: Nancy,I want you to just do it. I think you should just do it. I don't want one more cell of that stuff to grow! Nancy, I want you to just do it.
- Nancy Krieger Weston: I'm going to do it!
- Elliot Weston: Soon.
- Nancy Krieger Weston: Okay, soon!
- Nancy Krieger Weston: What are you doing?
- Ethan Weston: What's it look like?
- Nancy Krieger Weston: It looks like you're playing with your Dino Riders.
- [Ethan just continues to play]
- Nancy Krieger Weston: Can I come in for a few minutes?
- Ethan Weston: It's a free country.
- Nancy Krieger Weston: You're right. It is.
- Nancy Krieger Weston: [going over and taking a seat on the floor with Ethan] I know that you're still mad at me for yelling at you on Saturday.
- Ethan Weston: I'm not mad.
- Nancy Krieger Weston: No. Okay. You're not. But even if you are, I'm sorry for that. Okay? I want to apologize. And also, because...
- Ethan Weston: Because what?
- Nancy Krieger Weston: I want to talk to you about something.
- Ethan Weston: What?
- Nancy Krieger Weston: Well, I have to tell you the truth. That is, I have to tell you the truth because you know me so well, I can't lie to you. But you don't have to be a big boy or anything. I just can't lie to you. There is something wrong with me, Ethan. I'm sick. And I don't know how sick yet, but I'm going to find out really soon. Daddy's going to take me to the hospital on Saturday and then they'll find out what's wrong, and once they know what's wrong they'll figure out how to make it better. And I could tell you that everything's going to be all right and you don't have to worry, but that really wouldn't be the truth, really. So that's the truth. That's all.
- Ethan Weston: Are you gonna die?
- Nancy Krieger Weston: I don't know. I don't think so. But I don't know.
- Ethan Weston: 'Kay.
- Nancy Krieger Weston: Okay.
- Elliot Weston: You're sitting alone in the dark. You okay?
- Nancy Krieger Weston: I don't know.
- Elliot Weston: [cautiously] What's wrong? Nance? What's wrong?
- Nancy Krieger Weston: Hope knows. She knows because Michael told her.
- Elliot Weston: [realizing] Nancy...
- Nancy Krieger Weston: You told him, even though this was just us. We had agreed this was just us.
- Elliot Weston: Nancy, I'm so sorry.
- Nancy Krieger Weston: And now it's out.
- Elliot Weston: It's not out.
- Nancy Krieger Weston: It is out, Elliot. And everybody knows because your friend can't keep anything to himself and you had to feel good about yourself for two minutes and that was worth anything in the whole world to you.