07x01 - The Longest Day

[bunniefuu]

[theme music]

-Mack. -What?

What if Val's babies didn't die?

Look, Greg, you know I do what I have to do to get what I want.

But I don't do this.

I don't take babies away from their mother.

And now you're having trouble living with your complicity.

[sighs] Look, I just need Galveston's papers.

I know the answer to where the babies are

is in there somewhere.

[Karen] Dr. Ackerman,

you delivered twins for her last November.

She was told they were stillborn.

If the babies weren't stillborn, if I lied about them,

then what happened?

-You tell me. -I have told you.

You haven't told me where the babies are.

I see. You think they're alive.

-It's possible. -Good day.

Karen, please, let those babies rest in peace.

Don't go on with this.

I have to find out what happened.

[indistinct chatter]

[dramatic music]

Karen, get in the car. We'll block him in.

[crashes]

Karen!

-Are you okay? -Yeah.

We got him, we got him. It's over, Karen.

Ackerman, it's over! Let's go, Ackerman!

[g*nsh*t]

[reporter] According to sources close to the investigation,

the San Diego police have learned the identity

of the mystery man who pursued Ackerman,

M. Patrick Mack MacKenzie,

the governor's special investigator.

What's Mack got to do with Dr. Ackerman?

-What? -I just heard it on the radio.

Mack was there, so were you. What the hell's going on?

Val's babies are alive.

[soft music ]

-Get in the house. -What're you doing home?

Get in the house and start packing.

-What? -Just do it!

We're-- we're going on vacation.

[laughs] This is a joke, right?

Don't ask any questions, just do it.

Remember when Sumner resigned?

Where were we?

We were in the valley somewhere talking to some woman.

Her name was Sheila. Sheila Fisher.

She had a baby that'd be about the right age.

Kept talking about her husband.

-Harry Fisher. -Harry Fisher. Let's go.

Call Karen, we know where the babies are, let's go.

Call Karen, I'll get the car.

-What? -They found the babies.

Where, come on, come on, come on.

-They found the babies. -Where are they?

Abby, I don't know what you're talking about.

Val. What?

They told me your babies are alive.

I know where they are.

-Where? -Come on.

[Mack] Wait a minute, let's not scare them off.

I think Karen and I should just go up there for now.

-Come on. -I hope they're there.

[Mack] Well, we'll soon find out.

You're handling this pretty well.

You know, kids may be in there. If it were my kids.

Sorry.

[Ben] It's okay.

[knocking on door]

Shh.

[baby crying]

Hi, I remember you.

You remember him?

We're having a rough day.

You just missed Harry, but he should be back soon.

Mrs. Fisher, your baby was adopted, right?

Yeah, well, we adopted two, twins actually.

Well, your babies were adopted illegally.

[Mack] They were taken from their mother

without her permission.

[Sheila] That's not true.

[Karen] Yes, yes, it is true.

We found the doctor who was responsible.

Why are you saying these things?

I want you to leave now.

You know it's true, Mrs. Fisher.

[baby crying]

[dramatic music ]

They're mine.

We waited a long time for this adoption.

[Mack] What are the bags for, Mrs. Fisher?

-What? -[Mack] What are the bags for?

-Where are you going? -We're going on a trip.

Going on a trip because you're afraid?

No, Harry needs a vacation.

[Mack] You're going on a trip because you're afraid

the babies will be found out?

I'm gonna call the police.

Yeah, that'd be good.

[baby crying]

[shouts] Harry!

Go! They wanna take the babies!

Val. Mack!

[tense music ]

Stay away from us, don't come near us.

-Mrs. Fisher-- -[Sheila] What do you want?

I want my babies.

You're crazy, they're not your babies, they're my babies.

-Careful, careful, the babies. -Val, stop.

[Valene] No!

Open the door!

Open the door!

[tire squealing]

Open the door!

Let me in!

[door banging]

-Operator? -[Valene] I want my babies.

-Open the door! -Get-- get me the police.

[grunts] Open the door!

[Karen] Valene, stop, stop.

Val, wait.

-Val, Val, Val. -Don't. No, Gary!

Come on, you can't do it. They'll put you in jail!

-Let me go! -Take it easy. Will you?

Don't you know whose babies they've got?

Valene, of course we know whose babies they are, they're yours.

That's right, honey, they're yours.

And we're gonna do everything we can to get 'em back for you.

Come on. No, Val, come on, come on.

It's all right, it's all right.

It's all right, come on, come on.

[tense music ]

[baby crying]

[tires squealing]

You stupid son of a...

[siren blaring]

[indistinct radio chatter]

All right, what's going on?

There's a woman inside that house.

She has an infant that doesn't belong to her.

-Is it yours? -The baby, no, my friend's.

She just went around to the backside of the house.

-I'll get her. -Actually, there's two babies.

The woman in the house has one and her husband has the other.

He just got in the car and got away

with a baby as we pulled up.

[Sheila] Police. Get them out of here!

-That's her. -[Sheila] Get them away.

How did these people get the children in the first place?

Did they just grab them off the street here or what?

No, it's-- it's very complicated.

They took them from the hospital.

-What time was that? -What time?

What, no, not today.

This happened a few months ago when they were born.

-A few months ago? -Yes.

Then you're talking about a kidnapping.

Yes, a kidnapping.

How'd you get involved in this?

I don't even know myself.

Let's talk about it later, all right?

This is my friend.

And you're Mrs., uh, Mrs. Sheila Fisher?

[sighs]

Her name is Valene Ewing.

Sheila Fisher is the woman inside the house.

Well, Mrs. Fisher is the one who called the police.

[tires screeching]

Don't be crazy, you're gonna k*ll that kid!

[tires squealing]

I bet that guy is crazy driving this way.

We're crazy for following him!

Yeah, well, we can't stop, can we?

Yeah, we can.

Come on, let's talk to her.

I'll check in with headquarters.

Hey, please.

Abby, it just doesn't make any sense.

Well, all right,

then, let me explain it to you once more, all right?

I got a phone call.

The person on the other end of the line

said, "Is this Mrs. Ewing?" I said, "Yes."

They said, "Well, this may come as a shock to you,

but your babies are alive."

I didn't know what they were talking about.

My children aren't babies, and they're certainly alive.

And-- and then suddenly it dawned on me.

They were talking about Valene.

They were talking about Valene's babies.

They didn't tell you who they were, give you a name?

No, they didn't. And frankly, it didn't occur to me I ask 'em.

They told me where the babies were.

I put down the phone, I got in my car,

and I started looking for Valene.

-Why didn't you just call her? -Oh, Gary, are you kidding?

Call her?

Would you call her with information like that?

You know, you're really unbelievable.

I went out and I did what I thought was the right thing,

and you're treating me as though I did something wrong.

And you interrogate me on top of it.

[sighs] I'm not interrogating you.

Yes, you are. And you know what?

And it hurts.

[baby crying]

It's okay, baby, come on. Hang on, baby.

[baby crying]

[knocking on door] Mrs. Fisher?

Come on out, please. Nobody's gonna hurt you.

Look, if you just talk to us,

we can get this whole thing straightened out.

[knocking on door] Mrs. Fisher?

[knocking on door] Mrs. Fisher?

[baby crying]

[baby crying]

Okay, baby, come on.

Okay, it's gonna be okay, huh?

Shh. Just hang on.

Come on.

[knocking on door] Mrs. Fisher?

Please, Mrs. Fisher.

Why don't you just come out here and talk to us?

[phone ringing]

-Hello? -[Harry] Sheila, it's me.

[breathe heavily]

Harry, Harry, where are you?

Calm down. Uh, somebody made a mistake.

Now, I don't know what it is, but everything--

All those people out there. Why are they after my babies?

It's a mistake, it's just a mistake, huh?

Now, I'll get it straightened out,

but you calm down, all right?

You know what happens, we don't want you to lose it again .

-All right? -The policemen are outside.

Don't let them in.

They want me to come out and talk to them.

No, don't do that either.

Just don't talk to anybody.

You just stay in the house, and sit tight,

and above all, Sheila, keep cool, keep cool.

You know what happens when you start to lose it.

Don't get yourself too stressed out.

Please come home soon.

[melancholy music ]

I really need you here.

Don't worry. Just hang on a little longer, okay?

Here we go.

[dramatic music ]

Yes, I'd like the number, please, of Charles J. Cavanaugh.

What? Business.

Lawyer.

[sighs]

Shh.

Headquarters does not have any record

of these twins being stolen.

No, they were supposedly stillborn.

Nobody knew until recently that they were actually alive.

I knew.

[officer] Listen folks, I don't know what we can do for you.

We're in a little over our heads already.

A dispute over...

-Did you lose him? -No, we had let him go.

He was driving like a maniac and he had a baby with him.

-How you holding up? -I'm Mack MacKenzie.

-From the governor's office? -Right.

Is the governor involved in this?

No, but I am, so let's get the woman out here.

She won't come out.

What do you mean she won't come out?

You're a cop! Break the door down.

-He can't do that. -Sure he can.

He has reason to believe a crime's been committed.

Look, Ben, he needs a warrant.

She has a stolen baby in there.

-Come on, let me handle this. -She's got Val's baby.

-We've got to do it another way. -How?

I've got to get a judge to slap a restraining order

on these people so they don't try to skip.

Then we'll have a hearing,

determine that the children belong to Val,

and then we'll get the kids back.

That's the only way it can be done.

[dramatic music ]

Oh, it's okay, it's okay, honey.

Nobody is gonna take you away from me, you're mine.

Come on, it's a difficult time, but we've got to break it up.

There's a lot of work to do, let's go, come on.

-I'm not going anywhere, Mack. -Val, let's--

You guys go ahead, I'll stay with Val.

Karen, why don't you let Gary take you home?

Great idea, thanks, Gary. Guys, can you drop me off?

Good, hop in.

[Abby] Gary, we've done all we can.

Let's go.

[coin clinking]

Shh. Come on.

[woman 1] Mr. Cavanaugh's office.

This is Harry Fisher again, is he in?

[woman 1] I'll see.

-This is Charles Cavanaugh. -Cavanaugh, finally!

-What the hell is going on? -What's the problem, Mr. Fisher?

Problem is, there are a bunch of people outside my house

who want to take away the babies you got for me.

-I don't see a problem. -You don't see a problem?

Listen, I don't know what I am supposed to do.

My wife loves these babies, she brought 'em up and I don't--

Look, I'm afraid you're gonna have to calm down.

[Harry] Well, that's easy for you to say, isn't it?

Did you see the papers?

That doctor of yours blew his head off.

-I heard. -It scared the hell out of me.

What am I supposed to do? Tell, what am I supposed to do?

[Charles] If you just relax, I'll tell you.

Now, listen to me.

Those babies are yours, Mr. Fisher.

You have nothing to worry about.

[sighs]

Here's the mail for Joshua's show this week.

It's not very much. Do you want to look at it?

No, not right now.

It's funny. This mail is really uneven.

I don't know, I guess it has something to do with--

Will you please stop rattling on?

You're giving me a headache.

I'm sorry, Abby, I just thought--

[clapping] Bravo! Bravo!

Greg, what are you doing here?

Well, I just stopped by to congratulate you.

Don't be so modest, Abby.

You've pulled off a fantastic coup.

Melanie, you can go now.

-Excuse me, Mr. Sumner. -What're you talking about?

You have just been voted "guardian angel of the year"

for bringing together Valene Ewing

with her two long-lost babies.

[door closes]

How did you know about that?

Well, good news touches all ears.

I had no idea what a wonderfully giving human being you were.

To be so concerned about your husband's ex-wife.

Can sainthood be far off?

What is it you want from me, Greg?

Nothing, nothing at all. I just wanted to stop by

and demonstrate that I'm not a sore loser.

You and my mother beat me,

and you deserve all the credit you can get.

What does your mother have to do with this?

She got you the papers you needed... from my files.

How else would you have known where the babies were?

I don't mean to take any credit away from you.

You found them, you gathered up the baby's mother,

and you took her to where the children were.

Now, that was the touch I really admired.

You're a classy dame.

I knew you were really sharp,

but I had no idea you were this sharp.

[kisses] My hat's off to you, woman.

Incidentally, how much of all this does Gary know about.

How much do you think Gary knows?

Brilliant.

What an artist you are.

You pulled it off, and nobody knows.

Nobody except me, of course.

[baby crying]

Listen.

-What? -Baby's crying again.

-I don't hear-- -Shh. I can hear him.

He's crying.

I always heard him.

Even when nobody else believed they were alive.

Well, it's not wholly true, you know.

Karen believed they were alive.

It was she that convinced Mack and me.

What?

Why didn't somebody do something?

We've been working on this for months.

[sighs]

Nobody told me, nobody even said that they believed me.

Well, we didn't want to get your hopes up and...

I mean, what if something went wrong?

You gotta remember, when you came back from Tennessee,

you weren't really together.

That's because I knew that they were alive,

and I couldn't get anybody else to believe me.

Well, there's no question about that now.

But I'm not leaving here unless I take them with me.

Judge Spaulding, I haven't come before your court,

but I think you know about me. I think you know enough to know

that I'm not talking off the top of my head.

-I didn't say you were. -Thank you.

-Now, I've been involved-- -Careful with the ball.

I've checked these records for months now,

and I have a-- I have a witness,

I have a nurse who was involved in the delivery.

-Where is she? -Right at this minute?

I'm not sure, but she's already admitted

to seeing the Ewing babies born alive.

She even went with me to find the doctor

who delivered them who had the Fisher name in his file.

And when he saw her, he took off and blew his brains out.

Mr. MacKenzie, I would love to help you--

Judge Spaulding, I'm not asking you

to remove the babies from the Fishers.

I'll take care of that when I can prove parentage.

All I'm asking you to do is prevent them

from leaving the state before I find what I'm looking for.

I will give you the restraining order,

but I've got to have something on paper.

Can't you give me a birth certificate?

-A death certificate? -I can give you all that stuff.

But that's gonna take time. It's gonna take hours.

I just don't want them to split.

-They had their bags packed. -Come on, MacKenzie.

-They had their bags packed. -Come on, MacKenzie.

They're not going anywhere in the next couple of hours.

I bet you already sent your men over to cover the house.

Yeah, I've got a couple of guys watching the house.

That's no big thing. It's no army or anything.

It's not gonna stop them from doing what they want to do.

Go on, get me that birth certificate,

and I will help you out.

Thank you.

-Oh, Karen. -That's wonderful.

Yeah, Val's at the Fisher house right now with Ben.

-She doesn't want to leave. -I don't blame her.

Oh, take me there, Karen, right now, please.

Oh, Lilimae, I will, but first I gotta do something, it's--

Getting the babies back is... Well, it's a bit complicated.

How come?

I really don't have time to go into all that right now,

but Mack is seeing a judge.

He's trying to get a court order

restraining the Fishers from taking the babies away again.

Taking them away? What do you mean?

Are those the people that stole them?

Well, we don't know exactly what did happen.

What we do know is that the babies are alive

and we're gonna get them back.

But first we have to go through some legal proceedings.

Lilimae, do you know if Val kept any medical records?

What do you mean, like doctor's bills?

Yes, test results, insurance papers,

anything that might directly link her to the babies.

Well, let's go see. She keeps everything on her desk.

Never throws anything away, you know. If it's him.

[woman over PA] Dr. Graham, main desk, please, Dr. Graham.

Dr. Graham, main desk, please.

Oh, come on. Excuse me, pal, can you help me out?

I need to get some records out of this office.

Oh, that office is closed.

They-- they shut it up at four o'clock.

Yeah, but this is an emergency.

Well, I can't do anything about that.

They lock up all the records for the night.

Hey, look, I'm sure you have a key to this office.

Oh, yeah, I got a key to the office,

but I ain't got a key to the files.

-Who has? -I don't know.

Well, maybe down at administration,

but they're probably going home by now.

Yeah, okay, thanks a lot.

Why don't you come back first thing in the morning...

[woman over PA] Dr. Heinz, outside call.

[dramatic music ]

That's great, that's unbelievable.

I'll, uh, I'll see Val after work today, yeah.

Cathy, thanks for calling. Okay, bye-bye.

[phone ringing]

-You on some kind of marathon? -Oh, thanks.

You've had your nose in those multiples

since first thing this morning.

I've got a lot of catching up to do.

I cannot believe how much has changed

since I left this business.

-So have you. -So have I what?

Changed.

You haven't told me to bugger of once this morning.

I thought it was probably because

you were depressed about something.

-Actually, you look depressed. -Really?

Yeah, you're a little pale. And your eyes are a little red.

-Why don't you just bugger off? -There's my girl.

Excuse me.

Laura Avery.

Yes.

Oh, that was nice of her to recommend me.

Sure, what's the address?

Uh-huh. Okay.

I'll, uh, I'll be there about seven.

Right, bye-bye.

-New listing. -Yeah, great.

[knocking on door]

Carolee, Mack MacKenzie.

I'm looking for Carolee Wilson.

-Sorry, she's not here. -Who are you?

I'm her brother. Sorry, she's not here.

Where is she?

It's got nothing to do with you where she is.

Wait a minute. Yeah, it does.

-Mind if I look for myself? -Yes, I mind.

Look...

Excuse me now. Don't give me a hard time, pal.

I'm here to talk to Carolee. Don't give me a hard time.

Carolee's packing, huh?

That's amazing. She's packing, the Fishers are packing.

Are you all going on vacation someplace?

Look, why don't you just get out of here

and stop trying to scare my sister?

Is she scared? I can understand that.

She has good reason to be scared.

She's in a lot of trouble.

Look...

She saw that doctor k*ll himself.

She almost flipped out behind it.

-She can't handle it anymore. -She's gonna have to handle it.

-Now where is she? -I don't know.

That's the truth.

All right, you tell her that I wanna see her face to face.

You tell her that she's the only one

that can swear she saw the babies alive.

She'd be crazy to get that involved in this.

She's already involved, I'll tell you something else.

Involved or not, she's gonna help me. You know why?

Because she has children of her own,

and she has a decent streak in her a mile deep.

What do you know about my sister?

Enough to know that. Look, pal, I'm like a cop.

I know the bad guys when I see 'em.

I can smell 'em in the dark, your sister's not one of 'em.

I know she's been suffering through this

almost as much as the lady whose babies were stolen.

And she's gonna come through.

Decency's powerful stuff.

Just in case she doesn't come through,

just in case she has a change of heart,

you tell her I'm gonna nail her to the wall.

[dramatic music ]

-[man] Are you Mrs. Ewing? -Yes, I am.

-Who are you? -You must be Ben Gibson.

Mack MacKenzie sent me over to watch the house.

We've got another guy out back.

I'm glad you're here.

Valene?

Valene?

Oh, sweet pea, I knew.

Oh, I knew all the time You'd get your babies back.

[crying] I know.

I know they're not actually back yet.

Karen told me all about it. But they will be.

I know, Mama.

Oh, I can't wait to hold them in my arms.

[crying]

How's she holding up?

She seems to be okay, but she's gotta be tired.

-I know I am. How's Mack? -Yeah, we all are.

I haven't talked to him since he left the hospital.

Karen, what about...

I talked to the police before we left the house,

and they're still trying to locate the station wagon.

He's coming back.

He's running scared right now,

but there's no way he's gonna abandon his wife.

Why doesn't she do something?

[baby crying]

You the people waiting for those babies?

-Yes. -Did you find the station wagon?

Oh, my--

[horn honking]

[Sheila] Harry?

[baby crying]

[Harry] Come on, you're home now, you're home now.

Keep them away from me.

-Keep them away! -He's got my child.

-I'm sorry, ma'am. -[Harry] Wrong!

The children we've got are ours.

-Here, show her this. -May I see that, please?

What is it?

[Ben] It's a birth certificate.

Right, for my children, read the names on it.

Harry and Sheila Fisher.

[gloomy music ]

Now get off my property and leave us alone!

I don't care what that says, I know that's my child.

[officer] Not according to that certificate, ma'am.

-You're gonna have to leave. -No!

I'll have to, or we're gonna have to take you in.

He's got a court order stopping you from--

I don't care what he's got, I'm not leaving here!

The only way we can do this is legally.

-They would put you in jail. -Listen, no. No.

[indistinct chatter]

[Karen] Mack's men are watching the house, honey.

-Shh. -We just gotta get some rest.

I want my babies!

[dramatic music ]

[bird chirping]

-I don't want any tea, mama. -You need this tea.

I know you don't think you do, but you do.

You'll see how much better you'll feel

after you have a cup.

No, you're right.

I'm not gonna tell her, no use upsetting her

any more than she already is.

All right, call me as soon as you can.

Bye.

Mack. He needs the babies' birth certificates

to get the restraining order, he can't get that 'til tomorrow.

It's really marvelous.

Harry Fisher has a certificate.

We don't.

I sure wish I knew where he got his.

Probably had it printed up.

Come on, you know it's a fake.

Probably.

Probably?

Those babies are Val's.

I know that. Val knows that, so do you.

Sure you know it, I know it, she knows it.

We all know it. We could be wrong.

How can you say that? How can you even think it?

I'm not saying I do, I'm just trying to consider

all the possibilities, and it is a possibility

that the Fishers adopted those children legally.

Twins, the exact age.

-It's a possibility. -Oh, I don't believe this!

-I really don't believe this. -You don't wanna believe it.

That's the problem, you've got too much invested here.

What?

All the searching you did, I mean, tracking down Ackerman

and that lawyer, I'm not putting you down,

I admire everything you did,

but your emotional investment is so great.

Hell, all of ours is.

I'm just wondering if maybe our emotions

aren't clouding our vision of the situation of the babies.

Wonder all you want. The babies are Val's, I know it.

-You're not infallible. -I know that.

I also know I'm right about this.

How are we gonna feel if we put the Fishers

through all this trauma, only to find out

those aren't the babies that Valene lost?

[somber music ]

[crickets chirping]

[knocking on door]

-Good evening. -Hi.

-Those are for somebody else. -No, they're for you.

No, I'm from the real estate office.

I'm just here to look at this house.

What's the matter, bashful, all of a sudden?

Take the flowers.

[tranquil music ]

-You're avoiding me. -You got it.

I miss you.

Did you rent this entire house just for this evening?

Rent it? Don't you think I could afford to, uh, buy it?

Actually, I borrowed it from a friend.

[Laura] Thank you.

You're really a--

You're finally beginning to realize that, honey.

I understand that things are really hopping around

the old cul-de-sac. Val's gonna get her babies back.

How do you know about that?

I know about everything.

Now, you're not gonna believe

the evening I have prepared for you.

This whole thing is unbelievable.

I mean, this looks like a, um, a Greek painting.

-The view, for you. -Mm-hmm.

Saumon fume, a little lamb, Montrachet, and me.

The dinner sounds great.

Thank you.

So you'll stay?

Sure. And after dinner, I'll go home.

[knocking on door]

Come in.

We heard about the babies, Val, and I'm so happy.

Thank you, Joshua.

-That's wonderful. -Thank you.

What joy this house will be filled with.

Can you imagine, Cathy,

three generations of this family under one roof?

And you know what brought them back, don't you, Val?

-No. -Prayer.

I prayed every night for those babies,

as did the thousands of people that my program reaches.

Like some divine chorus,

we beg for the forgiveness of sins

and the return of your babies.

As a matter of fact, you know what the three of us

oughta do right now is get down on the floor

and give thanks that our prayers were answered.

-What do you think, Cath? -Maybe we shouldn't--

Oh, come on, Cath.

-Val, will you join us? -No, I won't.

I mean, you're not gonna give thanks

for the wondrous gift you've already received?

When I have my babies back in my arms, then I'll give thanks.

And when I do, it'll be in my own way, alone.

You shouldn't insist like that.

I shouldn't have to insist where prayer is concerned.

And what goes on between me and my sister is our business,

so why don't you stay out of it?

[crickets chirping]

I'm not interrogating you, Abby. I'm just confused, that's all.

I mean, I can understand how they might call you by mistake,

but why'd they tell you all that?

Well, how should I know?

The whole thing was bizarre from the beginning to the end.

They just blurted it out.

Look, Gary, I'm finished with it.

I'm tired of talking about your ex-wife.

Let's just be happy the babies are back.

You are happy about it, aren't you?

Yes, of course.

Okay, then that's the end of it.

I saw Greg Sumner today.

He was talking about the babies, too.

-You saw Greg, huh? -Yeah.

We had some things to go over about Empire Valley,

but all he really wanted to talk about was the babies.

What did he say?

Just how amazing it was that they were found.

I didn't even know he knew about it.

That guy gets around, doesn't he?

Yeah.

[somber music ]

[dramatic music ]

[siren blaring]

Ewing, Val Ewing, it's on the card.

You just look it up.

Oh, yes, well, I'm afraid I'm only allowed to give out

medical records to patients or maybe family.

I'm trying to conduct an investigation.

-You understand. -I'm sorry, sir.

I'd like to help, but the regulations are very--

Forget the regulations.

They weren't in effect when the babies were stolen.

So you get over to those files,

and you dig out those records for me, please.

Maybe you should see my supervisor.

Fine, bring her in here.

Oh, it's too early.

She's not here?

All the department heads are at a meeting downtown.

They'll be here at 10 o'clock.

You mean there's no one here in authority?

Well, no one who can release the records.

See, you gotta understand something.

This is an emergency situation. I'm fighting the clock.

Now, I can get a court order to get these records,

but I haven't got the time for that procedure, so please.

I'm sorry, sir, I don't want to cause trouble.

I'm just a clerk, and I can't afford to lose my job.

Maybe you could get the mother or father to come down here.

Excuse me, that is a local call, isn't it?

Yes, this is a local call.

Karen.

[somber music ]

[doorbell rings]

Oh, hi, Lilimae, where's Val?

Oh, she hasn't come down yet, poor thing.

I mean, she must be so tired.

-Have you heard anything? -Yes, Mack just called.

He went back to the hospital, and they won't give him

Val's records unless she's there with him.

-Well, let me get her. -Well, okay, tell her to hurry.

Because Mack has an appointment with the judge this afternoon.

Good morning.

Karen, isn't it wonderful about Val's babies?

I just was saying to Lilimae how excited I am

that they were found.

Of course, I knew that it was just a matter of time.

Excuse me?

Well, we never had any doubt that they were alive.

Is that so?

Well, I felt their presence somewhere.

Really?

Well, it's too bad you didn't tell her,

because it would've been nice for her

to feel that someone believed her.

Well, you believed her, didn't you, Karen?

-Yes. -Did you say something?

-Karen, Val's not there! -What?

I mean, she must've gotten up

in the middle of the night and gone out.

All right, all right, don't, don't panic.

There's only one place she can be, I'll-- I'll get her,

and I'll take her to the hospital from there.

-It's all right. All right. -Oh, wait, I'll go with you.

I'll get my bag. Joshua, will you come?

Well, I think Joshua probably has to go to the studio.

-Don't you, Joshua? -Well, matter of fact, I do.

Come on.

[somber music continues]

Look, I feel bad for you, miss, I really do.

But my wife and I adopted those children,

and that's all there is to it.

We adopted them from a reputable agency.

Okay, all right, then can I ask you something?

-Wait. -What is it?

How did you get that birth certificate?

Those babies were adopted, right?

So how did you get a birth certificate

with your names on it, not the name of the real mother?

Look, all I know is what the lawyer told me.

It's standard procedure in these cases.

They do that so the child has a difficult time

finding out who its real parents are.

Don't you understand?

The mother doesn't want to be found.

But I do. Don't you understand?

Those babies were taken away from me.

I didn't give them up for adoption.

-I'm sorry. -No, wait, wait, wait, wait.

You're packing to go away somewhere, right?

Where are you going, huh? Where are you going?

Would you please leave me alone?

No, please, don't take them away again.

Lady, I don't even have to be out here talking to you now.

If you don't stop harassing me, I'll have you arrested.

No, please, don't take those babies away from me again.

-Don't you hear me? -[Lilimae] Valene.

[somber music ]

[sighs]

How long have we been here, sweet pea?

I don't know, mama. Most of the night.

And I just-- I don't know. I don't know.

Val, Mack called.

-He needs you at the hospital. -That's right.

Honey, you don't have to be here.

I mean, someone is watching the house.

Val, as soon as we're able to get those medical records,

we can force those people into court.

That's right, and we'll prove

that you are the baby's real mama.

Now come on, come on, darling.

We'll follow Karen and we'll go.

He hasn't been in to the office at all?

Did he call?

All right, if you hear from him,

please have him call home right away.

It's important.

Yeah, thanks.

[door closes]

-Oh, man, I what a work out. -Gary.

I must have put 50 miles on that horse this morning.

-Gary. -I mean, he's not broken in now.

-He's never gonna be broken in. -Gary.

I think I'm gonna cut a couple more like that.

Gary, please.

I've got something that I have to tell you.

[chuckles] Sorry, what?

A call came in from Dallas a little while ago.

Your family's been trying to reach you.

[somber music ]

What? Come on, what?

It's Bobby.

There's been a terrible accident.

Oh, I was just gonna call you again.

-What took you so long? -Never mind.

No, it was my fault, I-- I went back to the house.

Come on, let's go.

[dramatic music ]

Hi, we're back. This is Val Ewing.

This is the lady that's gonna help us.

Please show her some identification.

A driver's license, anything.

Oh, yeah, I've got that right here.

I hope that this is good enough, right?

Valene Ewing, yes, that's fine.

I'm so sorry to put you through all this trouble.

Thank you, but we really need the records.

We're out of time.

We-- we want either the birth records

or the certificate of fetal death.

Now, when were you admitted?

-On November-- -November 18th.



I have to look through these files.

The computer's down again.

I tell you, this has been one of those mornings.

Mornings? This has been one of those weeks.

My heart is beating like a drum.

Are you sure you've got the right date?

-Of course we're sure. -18th.

What kind of question is that?

I have no record of twins being born

at this hospital at any time during that month.

Well-- What?

They were supposed to have been stillborn.

I know, you told me that, and I checked that.

But I have neither a birth certificate

or a death certificate of any kind.

I'm sorry.

[theme music ]