05x06 - The Source

Episode transcripts for the TV show, "Highway to Heaven". Aired: September 19, 1984 – August 4, 1989.*
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Jonathan Smith is a "probationary" angel sent to Earth to help people in need.
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05x06 - The Source

Post by bunniefuu »

And that wraps up the news
for this evening.

Stay tuned for music till midnight.

We'll be back then
for the midnight news.

What a joke.

What?

The news.The news, it's a joke.

You learn about as much from that
as you do a presidential debate.

I mean,
what did we find out from the news?

Found out
there was a train wreck in France,

a plane crash, people fell off a sailboat,
presumed drowned.

Oh, and a secretary says
she slept with a senator

followed by some very bad jokes
by the weatherman.

They call that the news.

It's what the people want, I suppose.

Yeah,
little kids want candy all the time,

but you don't give it to them.

You do if you're selling them
the candy.

Thank God for newspapers.

Why? How many people read them?

I mean, really read them.

How many people read anything
anymore?

Video stores are crowded.

No big long lines in the library.

Getting worse all the time.

How do you turn it around?

In the home, when kids are young,

turn off the set and read to them.

Let them experience
the wonders of words.

Yeah,
what if the parents don't read?

Then they have an obligation
to their children to learn.

What do you mean,
go back to school?

Yeah, that's right.
Go back to school.

They got classes in the evening.

Hey, turn right up here.
We're gonna take the freeway.

Where are we going anyway?

Back to school.

Doug.

Here you go, partner.
Another outstanding Blue Jay Banner.

And how could we miss
with the lead article on teenage sex?

Come on, it's in the writing.

If we keep it up, one day it will be:

"McCormick and Rawlins
receive Pulitzer."

Why not?

How come your name
always goes first?

It sounds more rhythmical that way.

That's a matter of opinion.

All right.
How about alphabetical order?

M comes before R.

How about I change my name
to Anderson?

We'll talk about it, okay?
But right now, we gotta meet my dad.

He wants us to meet
the journalism sub.

Just what we need, a sub.

No problem.
We'll keep the guy in line.

Gentlemen, welcome.

I'm the principal. Bill McCormick.

Pleased to meet you.
Jonathan Smith.

- Mark Gordon.
- Mark, how are you?

- Please, have a seat.
- Thank you.

I appreciate very much both of you
substituting for us

on such short notice.

You come
very highly recommended,

so I know you'll demand
the best from our kids.

Now, Jonathan,
in addition to teaching English,

you'll be serving as advisor
for the school newspaper.

That is an activity
that is near to my heart,

because my son Colin
is co-managing editor.

Well, terrific.
I'm looking forward to it.

Good.

And, Mark,
we have a full schedule for you too.

I understand
I'll be teaching phys ed.

Well, you've got half of that right.

The subject you will be teaching
is sex ed.

Sex ed?

Well, I really wasn't planning on that.
I mean, that's really not my thing.

Come on, Mark,
you've taught sex ed before.

I know that, Jonathan.

- You were great at it.
- Thank you.

Excuse me.

Yes?

Oh, good. Send them in.

Jonathan, there's a couple of fellas
I'd like you to meet.

- Hi, Dad.
- Hi, son.

Mr. Smith, Mr. Gordon,

this is my son, Colin,
and his co-editor, Doug Rawlins.

- Pleased to meet both of you.
- Hi.

Mr. Smith, these two young men have
written top-notch articles on everything,

from the homeless
to teenage sexuality.

And I don't mind telling you
that last subject was not an easy one

to get past the school board.

Yeah, I can imagine.

Looks like you two
have quite a champion here.

Yeah, we sure do.

Mr. McCormick,
I'm sorry to interrupt.

- Well, what is it?
- A school bus has had an accident.

It appears to be serious.

Oh, my dear God.

Hey, you all right?

Yeah.
I'm just a little shaky, that's all.

- Can you answer a few questions?
- Yeah. All right.

- You're Ellen, right?
- Yes. Ellen Kayhill.

Yeah, we were in the same
biology class last year.

Can you tell us what happened?

It was just so strange.

The bus just went right off the road.

Honey, are you all right?

I'm okay, I'm okay, I'm okay.

Oh, thank goodness.

Was anybody hurt?

One of the kids has a broken leg.
I think maybe that's the worst of it.

Oh, I heard about the accident
on the radio.

And I left the baby with Mom
and came as fast as I could.

Honey, I'm glad you came.
I'm glad you came.

We were real lucky.

You kids get away from there.
That's gasoline coming out there.

Yeah, yeah. Okay.

All right.Thanks a lot.
We're gonna talk to the bus driver.

- Okay. Bye.
- Thanks.

Did you notice my technique?

Woodward and Bernstein
would've been proud.

Do you realise you mention
those guys every day?

- Mr. Nichols?
- Yeah?

Brett Williams with Leading News.
Can you tell us what happened?

Well, yeah,
I was coming up this curve here,

just like I do every morning, and...

But as soon as I took my foot
off the pedal,

the bus just took off like a sh*t.

The pedal must've stuck somehow,
I don't know.

And after that, Mr. Nichols?

Well, I jumped on the brake,
but it was too late.

It went right over.

- Did you hear that?
- Yeah.

The bus driver said the pedal stuck.
That's what caused the accident.

So?

So if the gas pedal stuck like that,

maybe the bus company
didn't maintain the bus.

You hear about sloppy maintenance
all the time,

you know, with airplanes, trains.

Doug,
there could be a big story here.

So where do we start?

Bus yard. Come on, let's hit it.

Okay, now I'm gonna tell you kids
exactly what I told the cops.

Those school buses
are kept in A shape.

My own kids ride them.

But the driver, Larry Nichols,
said the gas pedal stuck.

Well, if the gas pedal stuck,
we're gonna find out why.

You said "if."

Do you mean maybe it didn't stick?

Well, it's hard to--

Don't you put words in my mouth.

What my colleague means is,

isn't it in the realm of possibility
that it didn't stick?

Well, why don't we wait
till they finish checking out the bus?

What about Larry Nichols?
Is he a good driver?

Well, Larry's been working for me
for seven years.

I never had a problem.

Well, maybe you can tell us
what kind of person he is.

You know,
something about his character.

His character?

He's a nice guy.

He's a family man.
He's a good worker.

Look, you wanna know anything else
about Larry, you ask Larry.

Thanks.

- Excuse me, Larry?
- Yeah?

We're doing an article
on the bus accident.

Can we talk to you?

Oh, look, you guys,
I'm pretty stressed out about all that.

- Another time, okay?
- But this won't take very long.

You gotta know that reporters have
been coming out of the woodwork.

Why don't you read the article
in the Daily Register.

- I told everything to them.
- Well, we like to do our own reporting.

Yeah, but I just don't feel
like going over it again.

Does that mean
you're refusing to talk to us?

Hey, you know,
I think you're getting a little pushy here.

And I'm wondering
why you don't wanna talk to us.

You know, kid,
I don't like your attitude.

- He's hiding something.
- Are you sure?

No. But I'm hoping.

Hey, Frieda. How you doing?

Oh, Larry,
I didn't expect you back today.

Well, I left my wallet and stuff
in my locker back here.

How you feeling?

I did a bunch of interviews,
and then I had to take the blood test.

And then I get back here,

and a couple of kids
from the school paper nail me outside.

You know, Frieda,
you should have heard them.

They talked to me like I'm some kind
of criminal or something.

I did hear them.
They were in here pushing for a story.

Oh, boy.

Well, I'm gonna go change.

Larry, you want to take
the day off tomorrow?

No.

No, I'll be fine.

But thanks, anyway. I appreciate it.

Hello, Etta.
This is Frieda from the bus yard.

Etta, who can I talk to about a couple
of kids working on the school paper?

Okay. Thanks.

Hi.

I'm Mr. Gordon.

I guess you could have read
that off the board.

Well, I'm gonna be teaching your class
for the next few weeks.

So imagine
we're gonna be talking about sex.

Okay, what do you wanna know?

That's very funny.

Well, how far have you gotten
in your books?

We're up to the chapter
on getting pregnant.

Getting pregnant.

Well, that should be easy.

No.

Look, I'll take the roll.

I'll take the roll.

Stephen Addison?

Hey, ready, willing and able.

Ellen Kayhill?

Ellen Kayhill. Is she here?

Oh, not here.

- David Cutler?
- I'm here.

Good.

Oh, boy.

- Jonathan?
- Yeah?

Hi. Do you mind if I walk with you?

Not at all.

So how are Colin and Doug
doing with their investigation?

Well, that's a little early to tell.

I did get a call from Frieda Wallace
at the bus yard.

It seems the boys are being just a little
too aggressive in their interviews.

I talked to them about it.

I prefer to use the word "assertive."

And it's a trait I've worked very hard
to instil in Colin.

The boy's doing just fine.

I understand you
being proud of your son--

Oh, I am very proud of him.
My boy has what it takes.

You know that he and Doug are up

for the City Council
Youth Achievement Award this year?

- Oh, yeah, Colin told me.
- Good.

I just wanna make sure
that you don't put any kind of damper

on either of those kids.

You know what I mean.

- I'll certainly use my best judgement.
- Of course.

Do you realise we've come up
with absolutely nothing?

Partner, we're just warming up here.

Yeah, well, maybe the bus accident
was just that, an accident.

You read about accelerator pedals
sticking all the time.

Douglas, can you imagine
Woodward and Bernstein giving up?

If you mention those guys
one more time...

Excuse me.

- Hi.
- Hi.

Can I talk to you two
about something?

Sure.

It's about the bus accident.

What about it?

I can only talk to you if you promise
not to tell anyone who I am.

No problem.

No, I mean it.
If you use my name, I'll deny it.

Reporters never divulge their sources.
You're safe, I promise.

It's about the bus driver.

What about him?

Well, he doesn't pay a lot of attention
when he drives.

He fools around sometimes.

Fools around?

The day of the accident,
he was fooling around.

I mean, with me.

He was coming on to me.

He was what?

He was coming on to me.

Could you explain
what you mean by that exactly?

He was goofing around.

You know, he kept staring at me

and winking at me
in the rearview mirror.

Giving me these looks.

And that's when the bus
went off the road.

Did he just come on to you
all of a sudden?

No. He's done it before.

- He's even said things to me.
- What kind of things?

I don't wanna say. It's too gross.

And the worst thing about it
is that he's married.

- I saw his wife at the accident.
- We saw her too.

Listen, Ellen,
how long has all this been going on?

For a while.

Maybe two months.

And I really--I don't--

Look, maybe we should go
someplace more private.

I think I should go.

But we still wanna talk to you.

I don't know.

Remember, you promised
not to let anyone know who I am.

I mean, I wouldn't want Larry
coming after me or anything like that.

Don't worry, you have our word.

Okay.

Partner, we've got our Watergate.

With this girl coming to us, we have a
story a lot bigger than a bus accident.

Wait a minute, wait a minute.
Slow down, Colin.

You're not there yet.
Got a long way to go.

But we've got a witness
who was actually involved.

Come on, Doug. One anonymous
witness does not make a story.

But what can we do?
She won't go public.

Look, you come up
with some hard facts,

then I'll think about printing something,
but not until then.

All right. You want hard facts,
we'll get you hard facts.

Come on, Doug.

Boy, that Smith ticks me off.
Who does he think he is?

Hey, he's just trying to do his job.

Well, his job is being a teacher.
We're the reporters.

We've got a hell of a story here,
and he won't let us print it.

- Not until we get more facts.
- That's a lot of bull.

He's messing
with my First Amendment rights.

Well, I'm not giving up.

This story's too big.
We could sell it for a TV movie.

Hey, you think so?

I know so.

People love this sordid kind of stuff.

Why else would they watch a jerk
like Geraldo Rivera?

How you doing, Larry?

Did you guys hear
about a man's home being his castle?

Yeah. Well, this is real important.

Yeah? What is it?

One of the kids from the bus

has accused you
of causing the accident.

Now wait a minute.

You wanna run that by me
one more time?

This girl on the bus
said your mind wasn't on your driving.

- That's ridiculous.
- She says you were coming on to her.

And you've also been saying
obscene things to her for a long time.

What?

This is crazy. Who is she?

We're not at liberty to say.

Oh, don't give me that bull.

What you're saying is serious.
I've got a right to know.

Why don't we stick to the issue?

Because as far as I'm concerned,
there is no issue.

I haven't done anything wrong.

Larry.

Is everything all right?

It's all right, honey.

Now, listen, if you're not gonna say
who's accusing me,

then you got no right
to say diddlysquat.

Now why don't you
get off my property.

Remember.

We gave you a chance
to explain your side.

Hey, I don't know what that girl said,
but I haven't done anything.

I'm not in the habit of fooling around
with teenagers.

Now get out of here. Now.

What's going on, honey?

Nothing, nothing. Nothing's going on.

Come on, Ellen,
we just need a little more information.

Would you please
stop following me?

This is too important.

Listen, you told us
Larry said obscene things to you.

Do you know
if anybody else heard him?

- No, I don't.
- We don't have enough to get this guy.

Is there anything
you haven't already told us?

Yeah.
Like, did he do anything else?

- Look, I don't wanna say--
- He did, didn't he?

Didn't he?

Well, he...

What is it? Talk to us.

What else did he do?

Are you sure
you'll never mention my name?

You can trust us.
We already told you that.

I don't know if I can say it.

Tell us.

He...

He touched me.

He what?

I don't wanna say anything else.

Ellen, you can't let him get away
with that. When did he touch you?

The first time I was the last one
on the bus after school.

I hate him.

I hate him.

Hi, Ernie.

- Hey, Doug. Colin.
- Ernie.

Say, I've been reading your articles
in the school paper.

Jimmy brings them home
all the time.

You two guys are making a real name
for yourselves.

We're trying. That's why we're here.
We'd like to talk to you.

Me?
You're gonna do a story on me?

Well, maybe someday,
but not right now.

Shucks.

Do you think you could give us
some information on Larry Nichols,

you know, the guy who had
the accident with the school bus?

Larry? I've known him
since he was your age. Good kid.

So as far as you know,
he's never been in any real trouble?

No.

Well, there was that one
silly mess years ago,

but nothing ever bad.

- Silly mess?
- Yeah.

Well, Larry was going to night school
getting his high school diploma,

couldn't have been more than .

This was long before
he met his wife now.

Anyway, he kind of had a crush
on Mel Hudson's daughter, Wendy.

She was a senior at Jefferson High.

A high school student?

Yeah, that was the problem.

You see,
Mel was overly protective of Wendy,

her being and all.

Well, Larry took her out one night,
kept her out too late.

Mel got all out of joint
and called the cops.

He pressed charges against Larry

for contributing
to the delinquency of a minor.

Contributing
to the delinquency of a minor?

Yeah. Well, Mel cooled down
eventually and dropped the charges.

Like I said, it was all pretty silly.

Well, listen, kids. I gotta scoot.

Okay. Thanks, Ernie.

You keep up those articles now.

I can't wait to see
the look on Smith's face now.

- Well, what do you think?
- I'm sorry, Colin. I can't let you run it.

Why not?
The stuff Ernie Parsons told us nails it.

Oh, no, it doesn't.
You're jumping to conclusions.

Yeah,
but there's a real pattern here.

Larry Nichols was fooling around
with young girls years ago.

That's right, years ago.

He was years old, and he went out
with a girl who was .

That's all he did was go out with her.

You don't know
he did anything out of line.

The charges were dropped.

Lots of newspapers
would go with what we have.

Oh, you bet they would, son.
But that doesn't make it right.

Yeah, but if we don't move on it,
somebody will scoop us.

Well, I'm sorry. You're just gonna have
to take your chances on that.

Come on, Jonathan, can't you get me
out of teaching this sex ed?

Come on, Mark,
there's nothing I can do about it.

The boss gave you the assignment.

The least you could do is try.

Get me something easy to teach
like chemistry or physics or calculus.

You trying to tell me you know more
about calculus than you do about sex?

That's not what I said,
and you know it.

Boy, I'd like to see you
try and teach this class.

Some of these kids, they ask
questions that are not exactly angelic.

I mean, it's embarrassing.

Well, it's your job as the teacher

to see to it that the kids
don't get embarrassed.

I'm not talking about the kids
getting embarrassed.

I'm talking about me
getting embarrassed.

Look at these drawings.

When I was a kid, this is the thing
you hid under your mattress.

Excuse me.

Are you Mr. Gordon?

Yeah, that's me.

What can I do for you?

I'm Ellen Kayhill.

Some of the kids told me

you've been calling my name
in sex-ed class.

Yeah, that's right.
Where have you been?

I just wanted you to know
that you can take my name off the roll.

I dropped out of the class.

Oh, I see.

I wanted to take the class,
but my mom didn't like it.

I understand.

Yeah, see you.

Seems like a nice kid.

Kind of tense though, wasn't she?

Yeah.

Yeah, she sure was.

Doug, we've gotta get this story out.
Smith is spoiling everything.

Yeah,
but, unfortunately, the dictator--

I mean,
the teacher gets the final word.

But we can't just drop it.

Well, I see Woodward and Bernstein
are still working.

Boys want a lift?
I'm on the way home.

No, thanks, Dad. I think
we're gonna be here for a little while.

All right.

Keep slugging.

Now you've got your dad using
that Woodward and Bernstein line.

Doug, I know what I wanna do.

I wanna print
what we have on Larry Nichols.

Don't tell me, tell Smith.

We tried that.

Now I'm gonna print it
without Smith's approval.

- You gotta be kidding.
- I'm not kidding.

- My father will back us.
- Are you sure?

He stood behind us
on the sexuality article, didn't he?

- But that's a completely--
- Let's go for it.

I need some time to think about this.

If we don't act on it now,
I know we'll be sorry.

Can't you see that?

Doug, we're reporters. It's our duty.

- We have to do this.
- I don't know.

I'm gonna print it.

You want your name
off the story or on?

On.

Let's get to work, partner.

You had no right
to go behind my back.

Maybe we made an end-run,
but we had no choice.

The article is important
to this school.

What you printed was irresponsible.
It's nothing but innuendo.

Didn't bother to print that the charges
against Larry Nichols were dropped.

Very, very convenient.

How about if we print that
in the next issue?

Oh, it's gonna be printed
in the next issue of the Banner.

Neither one of you
are writing the copy.

You're no longer managing editors.

You can't do that.

I can't?

Well, let me tell you something, son.
It's already done.

You two will be lucky
if you cover the school picnic.

I should have never listened to you.

Relax.

I told you
my father would back us on this.

You can go in now.

Thank you.

Jonathan, I...

I'm asking you to reinstate the boys.

I'm sorry,
I can't condone their actions.

Oh, I grant you they should
have communicated with you.

Communicated?
They went behind my back.

I know that.

I know that. They...

They made a mistake.

But I know my son.

I know his feelings
about the First Amendment rights.

The First Amendment rights
don't give them licence

to destroy the life
of an innocent human being.

Now wait just a minute.

I hardly think
you can call Larry Nichols innocent.

The man has a background
of this kind of thing.

What background? The police charges
against him were dropped.

Charges are dropped
against guilty people every day.

Besides, the girl on the bus didn't
make up this story out of whole cloth.

The girl on the bus
refuses to come forward.

She is obviously frightened,
so she went to her peers.

Look, Mr. McCormick,
I can see we are not gonna agree

on how to handle this situation.

Well, then you and I
will have to agree to disagree.

I'm sorry, Jonathan.

Those boys will have
their First Amendment rights.

As of now, I am reinstating them
as managing editors.

That is the end of this discussion,
Mr. Smith.

This whole thing is ridiculous.

My husband did nothing wrong.

She finished her bottle.

Look, we have nothing more
to say about it.

- Not another one.
- It's endless, honey.

Maybe we should get
an unlisted number.

That Register
sure did a number on us,

reprinting their stupid
high school story.

I'd give anything
to know who that girl is.

I've been racking my mind
to try to come up with something,

but I just keep coming up with zero.

But why would she say these things
about you?

Diane, I already told you, I don't know.
I just don't know.

You're beginning to have doubts
about this, aren't you?

You're beginning to believe this crap,
aren't you?

Honey, look,
it's only natural to question

why a young girl
would say what she's saying.

Are you asking me
if I'm telling you the truth?

No, it's not that.

Then what?

Well, are you telling me everything?

Oh, that's great, that's just great.

Now you're beginning to sound
like all the callers.

Look, we're dealing
with a teenage girl here.

Maybe she misinterpreted
something--

There's nothing to misinterpret
because nothing happened.

Do you hear me?
Nothing happened.

Damn it.

If that's one more
trying to dig up dirt...

- Mr. Nichols?
- Yeah.

We're gonna have to ask you
to come downtown with us.

It's about the accident
and the allegations in the paper.

Are you kidding me?

Those are just anonymous charges.
I mean, kids making up a story.

Yes, sir, but we've had a lot of calls
from concerned parents.

You're gonna have to come with us.

Doug, it's me. They just let Larry go.

I don't know what they found out,
but here's what I wanna do.

Tomorrow,
when he pulls up to school,

I wanna be right on him,

See you.

Larry Nichols was questioned
for over an hour,

but the chief of police
declined to discuss

the nature of those questions
with us.

Leading News will bring an update
on the Nichols situation

as soon as we receive it.

- Larry.
- Yeah.

I need to talk to you.

Frieda,
if this is about that school paper--

No, it's more than the school paper,
Larry.

I don't know how to tell you this.

I have been getting
a lot of pressure put on me, and I've...

I'm gonna have to let you go.

What?

You gotta understand.

I've been getting a lot of flack
from parents.

I hear they're even starting a petition
against you.

Frieda, look, I got a wife,
I've got a baby that I have to feed.

I know.

I know it, and it kills me.

But, you know, I could lose
the whole school contract over this.

I swear to you,
I didn't do anything wrong.

I believe you, Larry.

And I'm sorry.

But there's nothing else I can do.

Where's Larry?

Got fired this morning.

Here he comes.

Boy, isn't that something?
Larry Nichols getting canned?

- Nichols got fired?
- Yep, he's out of here.

We did it. We actually did it.
They axed Larry.

There's our headline
for the next Banner.

Why wait?

Let's get a special edition out now.
We can scoop the Register.

You mean, now?
The photocopy room isn't open yet.

You're forgetting. We have a key
to the photocopy room.

- That answers that.
- Let's go.

Miss, it's time to go.

Oh, jeez, I'm sorry.
I didn't even see where I was going.

- It's okay.
- No, no, that's my fault.

- There you go.
- Thank you.

- I'm sorry again.
- That's okay.

There, it's finished.

Work of art.

You realise we broke this case,
you and me.

Come on, let's hit the copy machine.

The reporters at the Register
are gonna eat their hearts out.

Somebody left their binder here.

Ellen Kayhill. There's her name.

When was she in here?

Oh, listen to this.

Listen to this one.

"Larry, you drive me to school,
and you drive me wild with love."

Oh, man, this is weird.

"Larry and Ellen Nichols.
Mrs. Ellen Nichols"?

What is going on?

More than we thought,
that's for sure.

Mr. Smith?

In here.

I'm looking for Mr. Smith.

He got my binder by mistake.

Is that my binder?

Yes, it is.

Would you give it to me?

Ellen, we read the things
you wrote about Larry.

Let me have it.

Why did you write
that you loved Larry?

- You said you hated him.
- It's my property. Give it back.

Ellen.

- I don't wanna talk about it.
- You have to tell us what's going on.

Otherwise, we can't continue
to protect your identity.

You promised.

Because we thought
you were telling the truth.

You better tell us everything. Now.

- I made it up.
- You what?

I made it all up.
I made up everything.

You mean,
Larry never said anything to you?

No.

He never touched you?

No. Never.

The bus accident
had nothing to do with you?

No, it didn't. It was just an accident.

Why did you lie?

I don't know.

I was...

I was just so mad at him.

For what?

Because I loved him.

I've loved him
ever since the sixth grade.

And still...

I'd look at him day after day,

too afraid to even talk to him.

And then there was the accident.

And I saw her, his wife holding him.

I didn't even know he was married.

I hated her.

And I hated him.

I really--

I didn't mean for it to go this far.

It just kept getting bigger and bigger.

Please.

I'd just like my binder back.

Oh, yes, indeed.

I agree. They work very hard.

Yeah. I'll tell them that.

Oh, you bet
I'll keep my fingers crossed.

Harold,
thank you very much for calling.

Goodbye.

Come in. Come in.

Come on in.
I've just got some happy news.

Colin, Doug, because of your work
this year on the paper,

you've made the final round of City
Council Youth Achievement Award.

Not bad, eh, Mr. Smith?

Oh, not bad at all, sir.

Colin, what's wrong?

This will explain.

The girl lied?

That's right.

About all of it.

We wrote that retraction
to set everybody straight.

Doug and I
are going to go down to the paper,

and give them the whole story.

Yes.

Yes, of course.

You be sure to give them the name
of your source, whoever she is.

She's the one that created this mess,
in the first place.

No, she didn't.

Irresponsible reporting
created this whole mess.

Nothing's gonna be gained
by making that girl's name public.

Mr. Smith is right, Dad.

Besides, we made a promise
to protect our source,

and that promise has to be kept.

What that girl needs now
is some help.

I'll try and see that she gets it.

Ellen.

You're waiting for Colin and Doug,
aren't you?

No. I was...

They didn't tell and nobody will.

I don't know why I did it.

It was so mean.

I feel so bad
about what I did to Larry.

I'd really like to apologise to him,
but I'm afraid to face him.

I don't blame you for being afraid,
but you're gonna have to do it.

You owe that to Larry
and to his wife.

Would you like Mr. Gordon and I
to drive you over to Larry's place?

Yeah. That would be great.

Okay, come on.

Well, now that they printed
this retraction,

you know the bus driver's
gonna get his job back.

Are you gonna let Sarah
ride the bus with him?

No way. I still think he's guilty.

You know what they say,
"Where there's smoke, there's fire."

Congress shall make no law

respecting an establishment
of religion

or prohibiting
the free exercise thereof,

or abridging the freedom of speech
or of the press,

or the right of the people
peaceably to assemble

and to petition the government
for a redress of grievances.

Abuse the First Amendment,
and you destroy it.
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