RICHARD CHAMBERLAIN IN
“ISLAND SON”
EPISODE “FATHERS AND SONS”
© 2005. Okihei Enterprise, Ltd. All Rights Reserved.
Tribute to Ricchard Chamberlain

 

 

 
KAMEHAMEHA MEDICAL CENTER 
Establishing. Music Oyer: 1001 strings version of Some Enchanted Evening, at first too loud, then suddenly fuzzed by static, then loud again: the result of a badly wired speaker.
TONY METZGER, nearly fried from a long, hard day, emerges from an exam room, approaches Nurse Nancy Leeds at the crowded admitting desk.
METZGER:  (re: the awful sounds from the broken speaker)
They coming to fix that or what?
NANCY: I called three times, Dr. Metzger... I can try again.
METZGER: Never mind. This is the clinic - bargain service at bargain prices. Metzger grabs a chair, climbs on it, punches his hand through the mesh protecting the speaker, and yanks the speaker out of the ceiling, leaving wires dangling through the hole. The music stops. A few of the waiting patients applaud gratefully. Metzger takes a little bow, climbs down from the chair, approaches Nancy.

 

 
METZGER:  (continuing) Maybe I should become a surgeon... (as he throws the speaker in the trash) I'll have this guy out in two, three minutes. Then I get a breather, okay? I'm starving.
He's interrupted by TOM KEAHI -- Hawaiian, thirties, and MARY -his wife, 30ish, wearing a hotel maid's uniform; she holds a fussy baby in her arms, and FRANK, her father-in-law, 64, a frail looking man with a scowl, leaning on a cane.
TOM: Can I talk to you, doctor?
METZGER:  (not rude, just busy) sorry. Maybe Nancy can help you.

Metzger goes back into the examining room, shuts the door.
Tom turns to Nancy Leeds.
TOM: Any idea how much longer?
NANCY: I told you, I can't say. We're very busy.
NANCY: You want a private appointment, don't come to a free clinic.

 

 
DANIEL: I've been trying to get you over to the clinic for weeks.
MARGARET: Mission accomplished.
DANIEL: Be honest now. It's the pits, isn't it.
MARGARET: Yes.
DANIEL: That's a start. Now what can we do about it?
MARGARET: We?
DANIEL: The hospital. No one should be treated like that just because they can't pay.

 

 
MARGARET: You're right. It's not fair. But unfortunately we don't live in Sweden...Have you ever been to Sweden?
DANIEL: No.
MARGARET: Gorgeous scenery. I can't understand why the people are so depressed... they're great looking, well off, and the government pays their doctor bills... Would you like to go sometime?
DANIEL: Maggie.
MARGARET: Right. The clinic. Even with the tax
deduction it just barely breaks even. And the hospital isn't in the business of losing money.
DANIEL: Then we have to raise more.
MARGARET: So you'll take the job?
DANIEL: wait a minute. I didn't say..
MARGARET: It makes sense, Dan. As Director of Internal Medicine I could get you an advisory position on the board, with your passion you might convince those skinflints to raise their sights.
DANIEL: Maggie, don't. You know where I stand.
MARGARET:  (resigned) You want more time with patients...
DANIEL: And with myself. Right. If I wanted paperwork and politics, I could have stayed at New York General. 
MARGARET: Ah, well. You can't blame a girl for trying. Now, your car or mine?
DANIEL: You drive. I'll pay. You still on for Poker tonight?
MARGARET: Wouldn't miss it. Mr. Brock was benign, Mrs. Walsh is in remission and my Blood Drive hit ninety percent today. . I'm hot and I'm lucky.

The room is less crowded but not by much. Daniel comes in and walks toward an examining room. As he passes a group of waiting patients, we see Tom Keahi still sitting there. He gets up and crosses to Daniel.
TOM: Doc, I've been sitting here for almost four hours. I got a kid home alone and he's...(indicates Frank nagging the life out of me cause they
told him not to eat before his blood test......slumped in a chair with a scowl, clearly weak.
DANIEL:  (to nurse) Where's Dr. Metzger?
NANCY: His home away from home. The Malasada wagon.
DANIEL: Send him in to me when he gets back.

 

 
DANIEL: Make a fist, Mr. Keahi.
FRANK: Huh?
TOM: He said make a fist, Papa!
FRANK: Everybody have to be there?
DANIEL: It's up to you.
MARY: It's better if we are. He lies a lot.
DANIEL: About what?
TOM: Everything. He eats bad. He drinks all day.
DANIEL: That's about the worst thing a diabetic can do.
DANIEL: Are you keeping him on schedule with the insulin?
MARY: We try. It's not easy. Nothing is.
FRANK: Ow!
DANIEL: Sorry. That's a nasty bruise.
Metzger comes in.
DANIEL: Tony, take a look at this.
METZGER: Ugly. What happened?
MARY: He fell. When he was drunk.
DANIEL: (to Metzger) We'd better have a picture. Get him down to X-Ray, please. Let me know what it shows, Tony.
Don't worry, Mr. Keahi.
MARY: I gotta go, I'll take the bus.
FRANK:  (plaintive) Mary. . .
MARY:  (angry) I'll get fired.  (easier) You'll be okay.' I gotta go.
TOM: (roughly) Can we hurry this the hell up. We've been here all day.
Slowly Frank gets off the table.
METZGER: Follow me.

CONTINUE WITH EPISODE FATHERS AND SONS PART TWO

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