07x06 - Heartstrings, Part 2

Episode transcripts for the TV show "Family Ties". Aired: September 22, 1982 - May 14, 1989.*
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Set in suburban Columbus, Ohio during the Reagan administration, Steven and Elyse Keaton are baby boomers, liberals and former hippies, raising their three children: ambitious, would-be millionaire entrepreneur Alex; fashion-conscious, gossipy Mallory; and tomboy Jennifer.
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07x06 - Heartstrings, Part 2

Post by bunniefuu »

♪ ♪

(no voice)

♪ I bet we've been together
for a million years ♪

♪ And I bet we'll be together
for a million more ♪

♪ Oh, it's like
I started breathing ♪

♪ On the night we kissed ♪

♪ And I can't remember
what I ever did before ♪

♪ What would we do, baby,
without us? ♪

♪ What would we do, baby,
without us? ♪

♪ And there ain't no nothing we
can't love each other through ♪

♪ What would we do, baby,
without us? ♪



Mom, didn't they say
it was gonna take five hours?

Yeah.

Well, it's way after that now.

I mean, they're
almost an hour late.

Hey, hey, hey,
don't worry, Mrs. Keaton.

You know, that's how it goes
with this stuff, huh?

You know, maybe these guys
are like mechanics...

they're just sh**ting
for a little overtime.

Mal...

can you, uh, can you check
my pulse, please?

Your pulse?

Yeah, you heard
what the woman said.

It's running very fast...
I'd just like you to check it.

Okay, what do I do?

Just put your finger
right there and count.

WOMAN (over P.A.):
Telephone, please, Dr. Klein.

How high?

It gets into double figures.
Forget it.

I'll take my own pulse.

(Alex panting)

I haven't got a pulse.

This is unbelievable.

Before I had too much;
now I have none.

(over P.A.):
Report to Obstetrics, please.

Dr. Warner wanted
in Radiology, please.

Is everything okay, Ruth?
H-How is Tony?

He seemed fine.

I mean, his spirits are up
and he's very alert,

but they decided to move him
back into the I.C.U. Anyway.

Oh, I'm sorry.

Oh, I think that's just
the way these things go.

You know, two steps forward,
one step back.

I'm going down for a snack.

Would anybody like anything?

I'm coming with you, Mr. Meyers.

(laughing):
Okay. We'll see you folks later.

(indistinct announcement
over P.A.)

- Alex?
- Yeah? Yeah, what's up?

(Alex panting)

It's taking so long.

I'm getting really worried.

I mean, what if something...

happens to Dad?

I love him so much,
I don't think I could...

I could stand him...

being not there.

Look, Mal...

Dad...

is not gonna be...

not being there.

Okay?

Me...

I have no pulse.

I may die.

But Dad, Dad...

Dad's not gonna die, okay?

Dad... Dad is gonna
be fine, definitely.

You're not worried?

Yeah.

Mal, yeah, I'm worried.

I'm very worried.

I'm worried about me.

Look, Mal, it's all
about heredity, okay?

When you consider the gene pool
that we come from...

I got so much.

I mean...

when they were
handing out the genes,

I must've been a special order
or something.

Well, let's face it, Mal,
I got it all.

Including
the "raving egomaniac" gene.

Yes, that.

But I also... I also got...

and this is what's making
my pulse unfindable, Mal...

maybe... I also got
the "bum ticker" gene.

Huh?

The "bad heart" one.

The-the-the "malo corazón" gene.

Uh, I don't think so, Alex.

Really? Why not?

'Cause I think
you're gonna be around

for a very long time
so you can drive me nuts

for the rest of my life.

Oh, God, Mally, I hope so.

(elevator bell dings)

(over P.A.):
Dr. Seidelman, line one, please.

- Hi. - Hi. Hi.
- Hi.

(Alex sighs)

Lauren, thanks
for picking up the kids.

Of course.
How's Mr. Keaton?

We haven't heard anything
for a long while.

They're, they're
still in surgery.

W-We'll hear something soon.

You okay?

Alex got him going,
and now he thinks

he's gonna have a heart att*ck.

I can't feel my pulse.

Shake.

Come sit with your mommy.
I'm still sane.

LAUREN:
Is there anything I can do?

Yeah. Yeah, there is.

There is.

Lauren, I need
psychiatric treatment.

Hallelujah, Alex... it's
about time you saw the light.

Um... Alex, here.

- Take this.
- Yeah, good.

Make yourself comfortable...

- Good... and let me see
if I understand this.

- All right. - Okay,
despite your father's condition,

you seem to be more preoccupied
with your own...

imaginary and highly
neurotic worries.

Yes.

So what do you think?
Is there any hope?

Alex, do you think
maybe you really are

very worried about your father
and that you're hiding

behind those feelings,
unable to admit them?

Me?

(sighs)

Nah.

♪ ♪

TV ANNOUNCER:
Tigers eight, Padres four

in this fifth game
of the ' World Series.

The Tigers lead
three games to one.

Matter of fact, folks,
it sure looks like

the San Diego club will
shortly be packing their bags

and heading for the beach.

- Hey! Go to the beach!
- Hey, take your water wings!

- Go clamming, you bums!
- Whoa, whoa, whoa!

- Go clamming!
- Nose plugs!

You California sissies!
You run up against

some real Midwestern men,
see what happens.

Dad, Dad, Dad, are we not
two unbelievably brilliant

and clairvoyant touting maniacs?

Did I not tell you
Tigers in five?

You did, and did I not tell you
Tigers in five?

You did. I did.

You did. We done do'ed.

- Whoa!
- Okay!

Boy, does it get any...

any better than this, Alex?

(Alex gargling)

(Steven chuckling)

(Alex sighs)

Ah, the women of our clan

off in some distant,
airtight mall.

Our little baby boy
fast asleep upstairs.

And us... the two Keaton hombres.

(Steven exhales)

Sitting here watching
the October Classic,

smashing hot dogs
into our faces.

What was the question, Dad?

How about another dog-aroni?

Arf, arf, Dad. Arf, arf.

I'll get 'em if you want.

No, no, stay here, I'll get it.
Extra mustard, extra relish?

Extra everything.
I'm celebrating.

Boy, this really
brings back memories.

Me as a kid watching
the Yanks in the Series...

acting out every move.

Hey! Hodges digs in.

Larsen delivers.

(clicks tongue)

- Whoa!
- And it's

a long fly ball
to deep left center!

Mantle goes back...

back... back...

- (loud crash)
...breaks the lamp

but makes a spectacular
one-handed catch.

Boy, will his mom be mad.

I'll get the broom.

- (phone rings)
- I'll get it!

STEVEN:
Got it!

Good.

TV ANNOUNCER: Gwynn steps in.
Here's the pitch.

Big, sweeping curveball,
strike one!

- (groans)
- The Tigers two strikes away

from the championship!

Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes!

Here's the one-one pitch.

Swing and a miss, strike two!

Gwynn was way ahead of that one!

We're one pitch away now!

Yay! Go back
to SeaWorld, Padres!

Shamu's waiting for you.

Hernandez toeing the rubber.

Around comes the left arm.

Here's the pitch.

Gwynn lifts a high fly to left!

This could be it,
ladies and gentlemen!

Herndon's under it...
and makes the catch!

- (Alex screams)
- The Tigers win!

- Yes! Yes! Tigers win!
- The Tigers win the Series!

Yes! Hey...

Dad, cheer up.
Game's over.

Your team won.

That was Rob on the phone.

My father d*ed.

He, um...

(turns TV off)

He said he went real fast.

It was his heart.

He was...

gone before he got
to the hospital.

(sighs)

He was a good man, Dad.

(hoarsely):
He was a very good man.

And now... and he led
a-a full life, you know?

He had... two beautiful sons
and a loving wife.

He was a good provider.

I mean, he worked hard,
did the work of two men.

Three men.

And yet he was
with you, you know,

every step of the way,
guiding you,

until you were ready to go out
in-into the world

and-and start your own family,
which you did.

But time, as we know,
marches on...

Alex, stop.

And your mother, you know,
I'm sure she's gonna receive

a handsome insurance settlement.

Not to mention the house,
which if my sense

of the Buffalo real estate
market is accurate...

and, you know, I have no reason
to believe that it's not...

Alex... stop.

What, what are you doing?

I got to keep talking, Dad,
because I'm afraid

that if I stop talking,
I'm gonna start...

I'm gonna start crying.

Alex, my father d*ed.

Your grandfather.

You can cry.

We loved him very much.

Uh... you can grieve.

Don't hide
from your feelings, Alex.

Your grandpa d*ed.

You can cry.

(crying):
Grandpa...

(sobbing)

I'm very worried about my dad.

Well, it's nice to know
you're actually human, Alex.

Let's not go jumping
to conclusions, Mallory.

NICK:
Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey,

come on, now, let's not
be picking on Alex, huh?

He's made a psychological
breakthrough here,

and one can be quite vulnerable
at such a time.

Uh, am I right, Doc?

Yes, you are, Nick.

How did you know that?

Well, I read Cosmo.

And one can simply see it
by looking at him,

that he is extremely vulnerable.

He is... and he's very sweet
and really adorable.

I love him very much.

Do you hear that?

Yes, and I'm glad
we're in a hospital.

Everyone, stop being mean
to Alex.

There'll be plenty of time
for that at home.

Let's everybody just...
sit quietly and wait.

Tony's been so happy
these last few months

since our youngest son Martin
left home.

Try to tell myself
it's a coincidence.

You know, we decided
to travel all over the world.

We never expected to travel
to the hospital.

But like Tony said, at least
they didn't lose our luggage.

That was Skippy.

He, uh, sends his love,

and he, uh, he's gonna try
to make it over a little later.

He's a sweetheart.

You know, he said he has
this uncle, his Uncle Morris.

The guy had a triple bypass,
and he just ran a marathon.

Oh, that's absolutely true.

I mean, I don't know his uncle,

but you can do anything
with a good bypass.

It's no big deal these days.

Now, a neighbor of mine...

her husband had to have
a new valve put into his heart.

- Now, that was major.
- NICK: Ooh.

Yeah. I know where
you're coming from.

I had to do a valve job
on my bike.

Mrs. Hobart?

May I talk to you, please?

Is he all right?

No. Oh.

Oh. Oh.

- Oh, Ruth.
- Oh.

Well, I-I-I guess
this is good-bye.

I-I want to th-thank
y-you all...

(crying)

I can't believe
this has happened.

If there's anything we can do...

I'll be okay.
I will really.

And so will Steven, I know it.

Well, we... we have your number.

Here-here is ours,

and if there's anything
we can do, please call us.

Thank you.

Things were going so well
for her husband.

You know? You-you heard her.

They-they moved him
into his own room.

How-how could something
like this happen?

Hey, Mom, you know,
just take it easy, okay?

I mean, I-I don't understand.

One minute
you're on the road to recovery,

and the next minute you're dead.

I mean, either they don't know
what they're doing here,

- or someone's lying!
- Hey, Mom, Mom.

Hey, look, m-my husband Steven
Keaton's being operated on.

I-I want to know
what's going on.

Oh, I'm sorry. You'll have
to check with the duty nurse.

I really don't know.

Well, how long does
an operation take?!

I mean, God, it's the first one
they've ever done?!

- No, come on.
- What is going?

Mom, stop it.
Take it easy. Come on.

I'm sorry.

I-I'm just going nuts, I guess.

We all are. Just...

Mom, Dad's gonna be okay.

Everything's gonna be fine.

You know when you know something

with an absolute certainty
sometimes?

I mean, that's the feeling
I get about Dad.

Everything's gonna be fine.

Do you believe me?

Yeah. I do. I-I do.

I mean, I can... I can see him

in the kitchen, like,
a week from now.

And he'll come down, and...

and he'll say,

"Who didn't put the top back
on the ketchup last night?

Was it you, Mallory?"

And I'll say,
"No, it wasn't me, Dad.

It was... it was Jennifer,
it was Alex."

And Alex'll say,
"It was you, Mallory.

You never, ever put the top
on anything."

Dad'll say,
"So it was you, Mallory.

"How could you?

Do you think
ketchup grows on trees?"

And Mallory will have
to think about that.

I-I'm thinking about it.

Yeah, uh, you see, tomatoes
definitely do grow on vines.

But most of the spices

that we do find in ketchup
do grow on trees,

so I would have to say yes.

Everything's gonna be fine, Mom.

Dad's gonna be okay. Trust me.

Thank you.

Oh, honey,
you've been wonderful.

You guys have been
so supportive.

Hey, I found my pulse!

Oh, great.

He finds his pulse.

He's a kid.
He doesn't even need one.

- Alex?
- ALEX: It's got to be here

somewhere.

Oh, forget about your pulse.

Oh, that's-that's a nice thing
for a mother to say.

I want to talk to you.

Yeah, what's up?

I want to talk to you about...

(sighs)

...what we're gonna do
if he doesn't make it.

Oh, hey, Mom...

Come on, don't talk
like that, okay?

I mean, he's-he's gonna make it.

Yeah, I-I believe that,
I really do.

But we have to think about

what we're gonna do
if he doesn't.

ALEX:
No.

No, no. I don't even see why
we're discussing this, Mom.

Because I am the mother
of this family!

I have a six-year-old boy
over there,

and if this does happen,
I will lose my mind,

and I'm gonna turn to you.

(footfalls approaching)

Hey, uh, guys, you want to come
down to the cafeteria with us?

Gonna get a milkshake.

Celebrate Andy finding
his pulse.

No, thank you. You go on.

We're gonna stay up here.

Okay.

(over P.A.):
Paging Dr. Robinson.

Please call Surgery... .

I-I, uh...

I-I don't think
you have any concept

of what your dad and I mean
to each other.

Um... (sniffles)

How close we are, uh...

how much we love each other.

Mom.

I don't think you can live
in our house and not know that.

(Alex sighs)

If I lost him...

...I don't know
what I'd be like. I...

I don't know what I'd do.

- Okay, Mom.
- I don't know.

- Mom, Mom.
- I don't know.

(Alex sighs)

(Elyse sniffles)

I've depended on you...

(Elyse sniffles)

...for years.

(Elyse sniffles)

And if you have to lean on me
a little bit now, I'm ready.

I love you so much.

There's no way that
I'm not gonna be there for you

and I'm gonna let you go
through this alone.

You're my mommy.

(crying)

ELYSE:
Come on, Alex. Say "Mommy."

Say "Mommy." Mommy.

Money.

Oh, that's it.

Very good.

Oh, you're such a smart boy.

Right. Mommy.

Money.

Very good.

- (laughs)
- Right.

Money. Money. Money.

- Hi.
- Hi, Steven.

- Mmm.
- Mmm.

The airport is shut down
tight, Elyse.

(groans)

Talk about solid water.

There's no way my parents
are getting in tonight.

They're not.

Your brother Rob called.

Their flight was diverted
to Denver.

How's my dad?

He's doing fine.

Your brother's keeping
a close eye on him.

Evidently he won't actually
admit he had a heart att*ck.

What do you mean,
he won't admit it?

He had surgery.

Well, he says
they made a mistake.

It was his appendix.

(sighs)

He's a tough guy, my dad.

Anyway, they're going
to spend the night,

and they'll try
to get in tomorrow.

I guess this Thanksgiving
is between you and me.

ALEX:
Money.

Oh, Steven,
you're not gonna believe this.

- What's that?
- Alex said "Mommy."

Really? Good for you, Alex.

Come on, Alex, say "Mommy."

Money.

(Elyse sighs)

That's "money," Elyse.

He's been saying that for weeks.

Are you sure?

Are you sure?
It sounds like "Mommy" to me.

It's not.

Alex, say "Daddy."

Money.

This kid's gonna be rich, Elyse.

Either that, or he's going
to make us very poor.

Money.

Money, money.

Money, money, money.

Okay. Okay, okay.

ALEX (sighing):
Ah!

(Elyse chuckles)

God, I'm a lucky guy.

- You are.
- I am.

I have so much
to be thankful for this year.

My dad's alive,
I have you, I have...

this spectacular,
money-loving baby.

So thankful.

(toy cash register opens,
bell dings)

JENNIFER:
You know, when Dad gets home,

things aren't gonna be the same.

He's gonna be
in a weakened state,

and we're gonna have
to do everything we can

to try not to annoy him
or upset him.

Yeah, that means
no loud music, Jen.

Or no arguing, Mal.

No Nick, Nick.

Wait a minute, Alex.
If Nick goes, I go.

Yeah? So what?

(Elyse sighs)

So, what's everyone talking
about, huh?

Well, we're talking about
how things are gonna have

to change when Dad gets home.

I don't think things have
to change all that much.

So I, uh, guess that means
I can stay in town, huh?

Well, let's see
what the doctors say.

WOMAN:
Mrs. Keaton?

- Hey. - I just wanted to give you
an update on the surgery.

Yeah, what's going on?
What's taking so long?

What's happening with my dad?

Well, it is taking longer
than we expected.

Well, why is that?
Please, can you now tell us

what's happening in there?

Dr. Harrison has decided

that Mr. Keaton is in need
of a quadruple bypass.

- Oh, my God.
- What?!

Dr. Harrison
and his team are the best.

What? Oh...

They've run into this kind
of unexpected problem before,

and they know
what needs to be done.

I know how hard this is,

but there's really nothing
you can do now but wait.

I promise I'll keep you posted.

- I...
- All right, Mom, sit down.

NICK:
Oh, hey, hey, hey.

Hey, hey, hey, come on.
Come on, let's go, you guys.

He's gonna be fine... Mr. Keaton.

Lap sponge.
We have some bleeding here.

NICK:
He's a fighter, you know that.

- His pressure is .
- Clamp.

What they can do now
is incredible.

I need a one-millimeter probe,
please.

Modern science is
a miracle, huh?

I need some traction here.

It's gonna work out,
I'm telling you.



MAN:
Sit, Ubu, sit. Good dog.

(Ubu barks)
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