Original subtitles

Previously on L .A. Law.

Who are you?

Who else could it be, dear?

No deadbolt.

Shame.

I'm shocked you didn't expect me. I expected you.

You wouldn't dare shoot if I stay passive.

Wrong.

How do I look?

Fabulous. Come a long way in five weeks.

You think so? Definitely.

You have mastered the art of video foreplay.

One.

We're back with legal eagle Arnold Becker. You are not looking for an

appropriate education, Mrs. Berg. You're looking for a miracle.

Objection! My son doesn't need a miracle, Mr. Laporte.

All he needs is the help he was promised.

I am upholding the finding of the administrative hearing officer.

and order that Ricky Byrd be re -enrolled in the Logan Institute until a

appropriate public school program can be found or designed for him.

Hi, I'm Arnold Becker. I'm Mr. Stolwitz's attorney. Good. Maybe he'll

in. But what's the problem? The problem is he's got a 12 -year -old child in

there, and he won't release him.

Benny, it's me. It's Arnie.

Who are you? Sharon Barrett, social services. Oh, come on. I came here to

custody of the child. Mr. Stalwitz locked me out.

That's why I called the police.

All right.

Benny, come on, open up. It's me. It's Arnie. Let me in.

Just you. All right, just me and Roxanne. Would you open up now?

Did you guys just wait out here?

Come on, Roxanne.

Who are you?

Sam Perry. Who are you?

I'm Arnold Becker. I'm his attorney. Would you put down the bats?

I told you.

Where do you live?

He lives with me.

What do you mean he lives with you? Since when does he live with you?

Since the week after Thanksgiving.

Sam is homeless. Benny found him going through the trash and he moved in.

known about this?

He was afraid if he told people at the firm you would intervene like you always

do. I swore I wouldn't tell.

This is illegal, Roxanne. He can't just take in a kid. This is not legal.

Mr. Becker. I want to live here.

Arnie, you gotta help us. Don't let him take him away, please.

I've been checking on them, Arnie. Betty's doing a great job.

Doesn't matter.

He could be charged with kidnapping.

If you don't let us in, sir, we'll have to break it down. All right!

Arnie, don't!

You'll have to come with us, Sam.

Please.

Please. Excuse me.

Officer. Hey. Hey. Come on, Sam.

No.

Where are you taking him? Iron Hall.

All right, go on. Let's go.

Take me there. He lives here. No.

You said he'd help. For Arnie. I will help. We'll jump right on it tomorrow.

Come with me, Benny.

Let's go.

He's been there three months?

According to Roxanne, who knew about this, Benny's been a pretty good parent.

He even got the kid enrolled in school.

That's how social services caught up with him.

Benny couldn't show any proof of legal guardianship. Who are the real parents?

No father, mother's an alcoholic who abandoned him.

The kid was living on the streets for two months.

Oh, my God. Look, I promised Benny we'd try to help get him back.

Grace is gonna handle it since I could be a witness. Wait a second. We're gonna

actually advocate that Benny keep this kid?

Why not? What's wrong with that? He's mentally retarded. I pledge this firm's

support and he gets it, Douglas.

All right. But please, people, under no circumstances is this firm to assume

guardianship responsibilities.

On a more soothing note, I'm pleased to announce that no charges will be filed

against Tommy Mullaney in the self -defense shooting of John Harvey. That

be a relief. Yeah. I am so surprised they even considered it. Thanks.

Thanks, guys.

Uh, where are we on Malone versus Westside Medical at all?

Depositions start today.

Any settlement offer to our client? Nothing worth mentioning. How much?

$25 ,000. Was it realistic to hope for more? Did you count? Client doesn't want

to. Well, don't you think she should?

We're more concerned with stopping this guy from operating on anybody else. It's

only a matter of time before he kills someone. But is that the client talking

you? Besides, isn't this guy you're suing like the top orthopedic surgeon in

universe? I've got a client who came out of surgery paralyzed for life.

and a scrub nurse who says that something weird happened to the

orthopedic surgeon in the operating room that day, I'm going to find out what.

Good for you. Good for her?

Mr. Settleman?

Mr. Take the money and run?

Excuse me. Believe it or not, I happen to think there are certain things more

important than money. Douglas, are you feeling okay?

I'm on your side, Anne.

Thank you, Douglas.

Now, if that concludes our business, we're adjourned.

I'll be right outside, Sam. I'll drive you back to McLaren when you're

Great. I can't wait.

And we can help you with this fight. But you both have to realize this is your

fight. Which means, Benny, you will have to go to court and testify.

I know. I'm ready.

Are you guys sure that you want to live together?

We're sure.

Why? Why?

Because I hate sleeping in dumpsters.

He hates being alone.

He's scared to sleep in the dark unless... I am not.

I am too.

You know if you go to court, you have to take an oath.

I've been to court five times.

All right. Look, we both got nobody else.

Benny has us.

Yeah? You let him pick up your laundry or get your mail.

If he gets lucky, he gets to sit in your porch and sniff the leather.

You tell him that?

You treat him good. He knows it. But when was the last time you had him over

eat?

You visit him much? Show some respect, young man.

Benny and me need each other.

Okay? So just tell us.

Yes or no?

Don't go and get my hopes up.

Will you help us?

I called Judge Robbins' clerk.

We're booked for 7 .30 a .m.

7 .30? Her day was full. It was the only time she had.

Put me on the stand and we'll go from there.

You sure these guys know what they're doing?

Hey, respect.

Arnie, you got a minute?

Sure.

What's up?

Arnie, let me ask you a very direct question.

Go ahead.

Are you happy in your life?

Yeah, sure.

No complaints, no regrets?

Nothing serious.

Anything you'd change if you could?

Where is this going, Susan?

I had dinner last night with Ken Feldman.

Who's Ken Feldman?

Executive producer of the Sun Up show.

And he asked me to see if you might be interested in becoming their full -time

legal segment reporter.

Me? He looked at your tapes.

He's impressed by your curating, and he loves your demo.

Gee, Susan.

I don't know.

Well, if you're not interested. I didn't say that. I mean, I just... It's like

being jumped from single A right to the big leagues. I don't even know if I'm

ready. Well, he thinks you are.

So do I.

I don't know what to say.

What would it involve?

First of all, it involved money.

Now, I took the liberty of feeling him out about a three -year, $2 .5 million

deal.

He didn't blink.

Now, I might even be able to do better than that.

Are you interested?

I don't know. Yeah.

I mean, I'd be crazy not to be. Now, it's a full -time job.

Lots of travel.

You'd have to cut back on your law practice.

Would I have to live in New York because that would be a deal -breaker?

I don't know.

Let me think.

Okay.

They're doing this show in L .A. for a week.

Let me arrange a lunch date. The two of you can get to know each other.

I mean, you may hate each other.

Set it up.

All right.

Only don't tell anyone.

You know how the rumor mill loves this stuff.

I won't.

I promise.

Good.

Come here. You gotta hear this.

Yes? Veronica Berg to see you.

Send her in.

Veronica, come in.

Douglas, I can't accept this money.

Of course you can. But $10 ,000.

Veronica, you're going to need it to live, and I have it to give.

What else is money for? But you've done so much already.

You and Grace convinced the school board not to appeal and I... Please, please.

This is my way of letting you know that you and Ricky aren't alone.

That I'll always be there for both of you.

I don't know what to say.

There's nothing to say.

You're going to make me cry. Oh, come on.

This is nothing.

You'd do the same for me.

How's Ricky doing?

He's back at Logan, thanks to you.

I love it.

And the teachers say they already see progress.

Have you found a place yet? I rented a small house, and I'll be moving up there

next week.

I've always loved Santa Barbara, so your being there gives me a good excuse for

visiting.

Douglas, how can I ever repay you?

Have dinner with me Wednesday.

You nervous?

There were only two things I wanted to avoid in life.

Hospitals and lawsuits.

I know.

You're doing the right thing.

Ms. Whitcomb, you were a scrub nurse for Drs. Baines and Patterson during the

operation, which is the subject of this lawsuit.

That's correct.

You filed an incident report with the operating room supervisor, which is...

large measure, the basis for the suit.

Yes, I did.

Please describe the circumstances which led you to file your report.

The operation was to remove the patient's second lumbar disc and diffuse

vertebrae.

Dr. Baines was almost finished.

The disc was out. The fusion was done.

There's a point where the surgeon checks to see if there's any bleeding or any

sharp pieces of bone or any disc left.

Suddenly, he stopped operating.

He started... turning his head from side to side. As he turned his head, he

looked at the field with first one eye and then the other. Then, finally, he

asked the circulating nurse to wipe his glasses.

Does that exhaust your chronicle of Dr. Bain's strange behavior, Miss Whitcomb?

He paused for a period of time, then asked to have his glasses wiped.

Is the sarcasm really necessary?

The part about the glasses was unusual.

There was no reason to wipe the glasses. I mean, they weren't steamed up.

or bloody, or anything.

Were you looking out of the doctor's glasses?

My point is, is that one minute he was operating, and the next minute he turns

and walks out.

So I'm sure I understand you. You're not alleging you saw Dr.

Baines make any surgical errors, as best as it's within your capacity as a scrub

nurse to know.

No.

I did not see him make any error. You also didn't file an incident report at

time of the operation, did you? No. Neither that day nor the next?

No. I filed the report a week later when I heard the patient was paralyzed.

Which happened to be the same date you resigned from Westside Medical and left

the nursing profession.

I was planning to leave nursing for some time.

Isn't it true that you were written up by two doctors for unprofessional

conduct?

Unprofessional conduct means personality conflict.

Isn't there at least one surgeon at Westside who refused to have you assist

in the OA? Why are you talking to her like that? Rachel. She didn't make the

mistake that left me like this. She had nothing to gain by coming forward. Why

do you make it sound as if she's lying?

As much as I may sympathize with your situation, Ms. Malone, my job is to

represent the interests of Dr. Bain and Dr.

Patterson. If that means exploring the motivations of a scrub nurse, I am going

to do that.

If it means when it comes time to depose you, I explore the possibility your

paralysis may have other causes, rest assured, I am going to do that, too.

Okay, here are the pros.

Money. Not just short -term, but if I'm good at this, I could expand from just

doing legal segments to doing in -studio interviews to who knows.

Then there's the prestige factor. I mean, you're a celebrity, but it's not

your teeny -bopper kind of fame.

It's classier.

plus which you get to travel, you get to meet all sorts of interesting

individuals. Swimming.

With a forum like this, you could reach literally millions of people.

Well, this is an opportunity to make a real difference.

Okay, what about the cons?

One thing, I'm giving up my legal practice, which means a lot to me.

Giving up my relationship with Mackenzie Brackman, which also means a lot to me.

And I know I'd have to spend a lot of time in New York, and I hate New York.

What about me?

What do you mean?

Aren't I a consideration?

Of course you are.

Pro or con?

This is not about you, Roxanne.

The hell it isn't.

We live together.

If you take this job, it changes your life. If your life changes, my life

changes. This is incredibly selfish of you, Rox.

Me? You know, most men, their wives go along with whatever they decide to do.

Their wives?

Are you asking me to marry you, Arnie?

Oh, thank the Lord.

I'm trying to make one of the most important career decisions of my life,

all you can think about is how it's going to affect you.

Do you have an opinion as to whether Benjamin Stolwitz

would make a good parent?

I think he would make an excellent parent.

He's extremely responsible.

He owns and maintains his own house. He's a dependable worker who very ably

manages the mailroom at our law firm.

He has exceptional organizational skills.

And he's a very caring and loving person.

I'm afraid sorting the mail is a little different than raising a child, Mr.

Becker. Yes, it is, but there are a lot of lawyers and teachers and even judges

who feel miserably apparent to it. But I know this man.

He's moral.

He's loving.

Given that and given the functional intelligence that I know Benny has, I'm

telling you, he can do it.

Thank you. I have nothing further.

Mr. Becker.

You first met Mr. Stolowitz when he was arrested for assault and robbery. He was

acquitted. Yes, your defense was that this man lacked the mental capacity to

form culpable intent.

Is that right?

Right.

This man was also arrested for rape, was he not?

Objection. That was a case of mistaken identity.

He confessed the crime to the police. Because he didn't understand the

That's right.

Because he didn't understand.

He thought that he was being arrested for going to a strip joint. Right, Mr.

Becker? Yes.

And this would -be parent did in fact go to a nude strip joint where he paid a

woman to take off her clothes and talk to him. A lot of men go to strip joints,

Mr. Weisberg.

Do you?

Certainly not a habit, but I've been.

Mr. Stolz was again arrested in December for disorderly conduct and assault

after getting into a barroom brawl. He went to the defense of a senior citizen

who was embroiled in the fight. And he was arrested?

He was sticking up for a friend. He's not a criminal, Mr. Weisberg. He's a

responsible person.

Oh, do you consider joining a religious cult responsible behavior?

You made a mistake there. He paid the children of God $1 ,000.

And what did you do, Mr. Becker?

You came running to court claiming that this man didn't have the mental

faculties to enter into a contract.

And the judge disagreed. Yes, but you said he had diminished capacity, didn't

you, Mr. Becker? You argued that this man couldn't protect his own best

interests. Yes, but I was... Yes, and now you want to invest in him the

interests of a 12 -year -old boy. Your Honor.

Benny would make a good parent.

You ever been a parent, Mr. Becker?

Objection. What is that supposed to mean? I mean that you're up here giving

an expert opinion on his ability to be a good father. I'd like to know if you

ever tried parenthood, Mr. Becker.

Objection. How do you do? All right, Mr.

Weisberg. This line of questioning is irrelevant here.

Sorry, Your Honor. I have nothing further.

Dr. Baines, why did Ms. Malone require surgery?

She had a ruptured disc in her mid -back, which was causing a great deal of

pain. Was there anything atypical about her condition?

She was younger than most people with such advanced disc disease.

And the rupture was higher in the lumbar column than we usually see. It was also

quite large.

Before the operation, did you discuss with Ms. Malone the possibility of

complications? There are always inherent risks in this kind of surgery.

I explained to her that there was a chance of infection and bleeding.

Also, that her pain might not go away.

I also told her that there was a remote possibility that she would experience

post -operative weakness in her legs.

By weakness, do you mean paralysis?

The chance of that happening is far less than 1%, but it did exist.

And did you tell her that her weakness might include an inability to control

bladder or bowels, that she might need a catheter and a colostomy? Yes.

Those are the segulae of post -operative paralysis and this sort of procedure.

As I say, they are extremely rare.

How did the operation go, doctor?

Technically, it went fine.

Your scrub nurse described a time at the end of the operation when you appeared

to become disoriented.

I was hardly disoriented.

My glasses became fogged. Your nurse didn't see any fog on your glasses,

Was anything wrong with your vision?

No. With your coordination?

No. Why were you turning your head from side to side? I told you.

So we could see better. We sweat during an operation. We breathe behind surgical

masks. Sometimes our glasses fog.

But you were fine.

Yes. And the operation was technically fine.

Yes. And Rachel Malone is paralyzed for life.

I'm afraid so.

It's going badly, isn't it?

I didn't expect he'd admit to botching the operation, Rachel.

We're just getting him on the record. But even the scrub nurse only said Dr.

Baines had behaved strangely. She didn't say he'd done anything wrong.

Rachel, please trust me. We're in the process of making our case. We've got a

long way to go yet. Do you really believe I have a chance, Ann?

Do you really believe that?

Yes.

I really believe it.

Cap off, Sam.

Cap off. Sorry.

What was it like living with Benny? It was great.

I had my own room.

I could sleep.

I could eat.

TV. Did you go to school?

Yeah. Benny made me. And he made me get braces.

Did he ever yell at you or hit you?

He yells at me to take a bath.

Mostly when I'm dirty.

Sometimes when I'm clean.

He never hits me.

Before you met Benny, where were you living?

On the street.

And before that?

In my mom's car, but I don't know where she is now.

Where's your dad?

In Detroit.

He used to be to my mom and me, so we left.

And what happened when you got to L .A., Sam?

My mom... She left me at a gas station.

If it were up to you, Sam, would you like to go back and live with Benny

Stolwitz? Yeah.

Mrs. Barrett thinks that you should be in McLaren Hall.

Tell Mrs. Barrett she could go live in McLaren Hall.

They give you food and a bed.

Benny gave me a place to live.

Thank you, Sam.

Hiya, Sam.

My name is Ed Weisberg, and I'm a lawyer for the county. I just have a few

questions for you.

When you lived with Mr. Stolowitz, did you get a lot of homework?

Yeah. I bet it was hard.

Did you ever ask Benny to help you with it? Not if I wanted the right answers.

Why is that?

He's retarded. He doesn't think real fast at school stuff.

Doesn't that bother you?

No. I mean, I'm supposed to be doing my own homework anyway, right?

Do your parents do your homework?

I bet you did your own.

You all right?

Sam, what if your friends made fun of him?

I mean, how would that make you feel?

Well, if they made fun of Benny, I'd kick their butts.

Sam, you got to level with me here. Do you think you're really going to listen

to what Benny says, a retarded man?

My father wasn't retarded. He used to kick me in the head.

My mother was pretty smart, and all she ever did was drink.

Benny comes home every night.

We eat together seven days a week.

You know, we play cards, we talk.

It may not seem like a lot to you.

It's all I got.

Thank you, Sam.

All right.

We'll reconvene tomorrow at 3 o 'clock.

Until then, you're adjourned.

I'll be real candid with you, Arnie. I like you, and I like what you do. Thank

you.

You come across as credible, and I tell you what, in this business, it's very

important.

And you have that thing.

What thing? The camera loves you.

I think with you on our team, the Sun Up show could kick some serious ass.

I'm very flattered. Oh, no, no, no. I'm not trying to flatter you here. I'm

making you an offer, Arnie, based on my own selfish interest, which I hope will

be mutually beneficial to both of us. Well, based on what Susan Bloom told me,

the money sounds more or less adequate.

But the part that troubles me the most is giving up my law practice.

Arnie, try looking at it this way. I like to think that you wouldn't be

it up so much as expanding it to national proportions.

I like the sound of that.

Are you married? No.

Okay?

Uh -uh.

Well, Arne, all I can tell you is, as a single guy, the kind of national

exposure you're going to be getting from the Sun Up show.

Well, let's just say, if you ever want to take your love life public, I buy it

dark.

Tell me about Brooks Tattner.

Brooks, huh? What can I tell you about Brooks?

You know, what you see is what you get.

He's a good anchor. He's got a good mind.

He's a man's man.

What does he feel about me?

First of all, Arnie, Brooks Tappman is not the boss of the Sun Up show. Okay,

and second of all, I gotta believe that you two guys are gonna hit it off, big

time.

What's Louise Harper like?

She's smart, she's tough, she gives great interview, and she's got major

breasts.

Married.

In the midst of a divorce. Arnie, something to consider here.

Maybe you could give her the benefit of your input.

My client's worth five points.

Okay, okay, four.

But you are stealing her.

No, a June start date is not a problem.

Great, I'll work the rest out with legal. Ciao, babe.

How'd it go?

I think he liked me.

Liked you?

He just called me from his car.

He is seriously pregnant.

All right.

There is only one hurdle left.

Brooks Tappman? He wants to meet you.

I hear this guy is really tough on people.

Arnie, baby, I'd always heard exactly the same thing about you. But the truth

that you are a sensitive, caring man that people often misunderstand because

they confuse who you are with what you do.

That's true.

I've set up lunch tomorrow at Nicky Blair's. Now, if anyone can forge a bond

with Brooks Tappman, it's you.

It's your testimony, Dr. Patterson, that nothing unusual or untoward occurred

while you and Dr. Baines performed Ms. Malone's surgery.

That's right.

There was no hematoma, no bone fragment, no cord infarct.

That's why her bad outcome was so disturbing.

Bad outcome.

That's another one of those physician's euphemisms I'm going to have to get used

to. Now, I keep saying that you and Dr.

Baines performed the surgery. In fact, it was pretty much Dr.

Baines' show.

I assume that is correct.

During the part of the procedure in which your scrub nurse described Dr.

as becoming distracted or disoriented, would that have been the time when Dr.

Baines was examining Miss Malone's spinal cord for possible damage? Well, I

not agree with her description of Dr.

Baines' behavior, but yes, that would have been the time he was examining the

cord. You have enormous respect for Dr.

Baines, don't you? Yes, I do.

Professionally and personally, Dr.

Baines pioneered the procedure we used that day.

He also established a fellowship program for orthopedic and neurosurgical

residents. I couldn't have completed my training without his generosity.

So you respect him and you're very grateful to him as well.

That's right. So grateful that if he had any doubts about his capacity to

perform as a physician, you'd want to protect him or at least give him the

benefit of the doubt. I have no such concerns, Ms. Kelsey.

Doctor, would the way in which Nurse Whitcomb described Dr. Baines' behaving

consistent with someone having a petit mal seizure?

Well, that description could fit a number of conditions.

Would it describe, say, a transient ischemic episode, what a layperson would

call a minor stroke?

Yes, but I still do not agree with your predicate.

In either case, wouldn't it be... Possible that once the episode was

Dr. Baines might be unaware that it had occurred, that he might believe he had

done the spinal cord examination when in fact he hadn't? This is preposterous.

And that given your respect and admiration and esteem for your

might assume that he had done the examination as well? That is not what

happened. How do you know? How dare you?

I've done that operation more times than anyone else in the world.

I've trained 50 other surgeons to do it. People come from all over the world to

train with me.

Jack. Sit down. Take it easy.

Are you all right?

Yes.

Here, Tom. I'm fine.

So, Mr. Stolwitz, you think you could be a good parent?

Yes. Well, let's say that Sam got hurt.

Say he fell down some stairs and was unconscious.

What would you do?

I'd take him to the doctor.

Can you drive a car?

No. Then how would you get him to a doctor?

I'd call Arnie or Roxanne.

What if they weren't home?

You know, we can't always rely on our friends. What if they weren't home?

Your Honor, this is Badger. What would you do?

I'd call 911.

Mr. Stovitz, this is a bottle of aspirin. Could you read a label, please?

For temporary relief of minor aches and pains. What's the dosage for a 12 -year

-old?

Adults and children over 12. I'm sorry, that's over 12. I asked you for a 12

-year -old.

Should you give any to a baby?

How about to a child under six?

I don't know.

Objection. We're not talking about babies or children under six, and

client like this is unfair.

I'm afraid it's irrelevant, Ms. Van Owen.

Overruled.

Would you read the part where it says warning, please?

Children and teenagers should not use this medicine for chicken pox or

flu symptoms.

What are the symptoms of chicken pox, Mr. Stolitz?

I don't know.

Would you be able to tell if Sam were under the influence of drugs?

I think so.

How would you tell?

I don't know.

You don't know.

I only have one more question, okay?

Who do you think is smarter, you or Sam?

Objection. I'm sorry, Your Honor, but let's face it.

This man is supposed to be a guardian. He's mentally retarded. He can't even

understand a bottle of aspirin. Objection. All right, Mr.

Weisberg, you've made your point.

I have nothing further.

All right.

You can step down now, Mr. Stolz.

I'll hear closing arguments from counsel at 9 a .m. tomorrow, and I'll make my

decision by the end of the day.

This court is now adjourned.

Douglas, I had a lovely evening. Thank you.

The pleasure was mine.

Believe me.

Oh, you know, I don't know how to begin to thank you for all that you've

done for me.

Veronica, I'm going to say something here, and I hope it doesn't offend you,

I've grown quite fond of you.

Well, why would that offend me?

Well, I don't know. Maybe fondness isn't a strong enough word.

To describe what I'm feeling.

What are you feeling?

Actually, I find myself extremely attracted to you.

Well, what would you say if I told you the feeling was mutual?

So if I were to kiss you now?

Kiss and find out.

Your Honor, what we have here is parenting by default.

It was kind of Mr. Stulwitz to take care of Sam Perry, but that doesn't mean he

qualifies as a good father.

Sam did fall temporarily through the cracks in the system, but that doesn't

that a mentally retarded single man with a history of violence is his best shot

at a family.

And while we're all impressed by the affection between Sam and Mr. Stulwitz,

that doesn't mean that Mr. Stulwitz... Stolwitz will be able to deal with the

complex, frustrating job of raising an adolescent. As much as I admire Mr.

Stolwitz for trying, and I do, I must ask that the court deny his petition for

guardianship.

Benny Stolwitz found Sam Perry looking through his garbage for food.

Sam had one pair of torn sneakers and a thin cotton jacket.

He'd been on the street for two months, and the Department of Social Services

didn't know he existed.

It was Benny Stolwood who gave Sam Perry a home. He didn't ask questions. He

didn't ask to be compensated. He saw a child in need, and he responded. And

maybe for the first time in his life, had someone who cared.

Right now, Sam lives in McLaren Hall, along with 200 other kids.

He sees a social worker maybe twice a year.

He stands in line for food. He stands in line to go to the bathroom.

People are searched before they can visit him. And the reality is, Sam Perry

will probably spend the rest of his childhood in institutions like McLaren,

because there aren't enough people out there.

who are willing or able to take these kids into their homes.

Benny Stolwitz is willing, Your Honor.

He loves this kid.

And over the past three months, he has proven himself more than able to take

care of him.

Mr. Stolwitz would not have to ask this court's permission to raise a child of

his own. He is asking permission to raise a child that nobody else wants.

Please.

Don't throw Sam back into a system that already failed him once.

Give him a chance for a real home.

Thank you.

You son of a bitch.

Sheila! How could you do that?

I assume you're talking about me and Veronica.

How could you humiliate me like this? Sheila, no one is trying to humiliate

anyone. All this is about is two people who've discovered a mutual need to be

with one another. You're stooping my baby sister.

Well, you stoop my baby brother.

So, I was right. You're doing this just to get back at me. I'm not doing

anything to you. I'm doing something for me.

I didn't set out to fall in love with your sister. It just happened.

Pervert. Pervert. This is incest. But do you care?

No. Do you think for one single minute how this is going to make your sons

No. All you care about is your own disgusting, perverted...

sexual desires.

This is not perversion. This is not incest. This is two single people who

every right to be with each other. I hope your thing falls off, you son of a

bitch.

Yours too, you son of a bitch.

They've made a settlement offer.

A lump sum of $1 million, plus payment of any medical bills to date not covered

by your insurance, plus $40 ,000 a year to cover ongoing costs of care and

rehabilitation for as long as you live.

It's not as much as I'd hoped.

But they're admitting he made a mistake. No.

You're being compensated for your medicals, for your pain and suffering,

your loss of income.

Dr. Baines would admit no guilt.

There would be no sanctions against him. We would have to agree never to discuss

the settlement.

No one else will ever know except his malpractice insurance carrier.

So they raise their rates.

And he raises his.

Let's talk about the alternatives, Rachel.

If we go to trial, it could be that the jury would not fine for our side and

we'd get nothing.

Or they could fine for us and the award could be significantly less than what

you're being offered.

And you'll have to take the witness stand.

That won't be fun.

Most people wind up feeling victimized a second time.

Are you saying I should settle?

My responsibility as your lawyer is to lay out all the options.

If you're asking what I think would happen in trial, given what we saw in

conference room yesterday, I think we'd take him to the cleaners.

And I want to.

I want to get the knife out of that man's hands.

And what if I do win?

Then what?

They'll appeal.

How long will that take?

It could take years.

The money they're offering is enough to pay for my kids' educations.

Enough to make sure I'll never be a burden to them.

Is the rest of it my obligation?

To see that he can't practice medicine anymore? To be some kind of...

Social protector?

I can't answer that question for you, Rachel.

Anne, I haven't got the strength or the patience to go any further.

If Dr.

Baines shouldn't be practicing, the system is going to have to find its own

to get rid of him.

I've given all I've got to give.

So what did you think of Ken Feldman?

He's all right.

Basically, he's a network guy.

And the network is trying to cut our operating costs to the bone.

But all things considered, he's a pretty good guy.

Mr. Tappman, may I have your autograph?

Absolutely. What's your name?

Barbara.

I really admire your work so much.

The whole show is great.

Thank you.

Thank you so much.

Thank you, and keep watching.

I will.

What a beast.

Anyway, I know it's going to sound corny, but do you want to know the truth

about the Thunup Show gang?

It's a family.

Sure, we have our squabbles, but damn it, if somebody comes after you, they're

going to have to take on all of us.

That sounds almost too good to be true. I mean, life is too short and the work

is too hard. If you can't have fun with friends you trust, what's the point? I

couldn't agree with you more.

You spend much time in New York?

No, not really.

It's a zoo.

If you take this job, and I sincerely hope you do, insist on a car and

a driver.

Make it a deal breaker.

Good.

Advice. We could have a lot of fun, Arthur.

A lot of fun.

I'd call your client's particular attention to the eighth term of the

I've gone over the agreement with Miss Malone, Arthur.

Any breach of the confidentiality clause means the payments stop, Miss Malone,

and we sue for all our money back.

I understand.

Then I think our business here is concluded.

Have you discussed the AMA rules with your clients, Arthur?

Specifically the sanctions which could attach to any physician knowingly

concealing a condition which endangers his patients.

I don't need you to tell me the rules of the AMA. Who are you operating on

today, doctor?

Is that really necessary?

You're bound by those rules too. You have an affirmative responsibility to

reveal knowledge of another doctor's impairment.

You do not get to lecture us, madam. Everyone who saw you in this conference

room yesterday recognizes that you have a medical problem, doctor. And I'm sorry

about that.

But if you continue to deny it, you are no better than a common criminal. And

neither are those who protect you.

She's right, Jack.

We both know it. You've got to do something.

It could be a reparable vessel. It could be 20 different things we can help.

I know, I know. I'll get you through it.

Some things you go through alone.

Uh -huh.

Yeah.

Yeah. I want it. I'll call you back.

Are you sure? Yes.

I want $800 ,000 the first year. I'll give them a two -year option after that

a million and a million five.

My own dressing room.

A car driver at my disposal whenever I'm in New York.

And I get to keep my wardrobe.

I'll see what I can do.

Please be seated.

I've never had a case like this before.

I'm not sure anyone has.

On the face of things, Mr. Stulwitz doesn't meet the standards the county

for guardians.

But if it had been up to the county, Sam Perry might not be alive today.

It was Mr. Stulwitz who got him off the street, who cared for him, who paid

attention to him, who loved him.

If that doesn't make Mr. Stulwitz a parent, I don't know what would.

I therefore grant Mr.

Stulwitz's petition for temporary guardianship of Sam Perry.

And I order that Sam remain a dependent of the court and that continuing

assistance be provided by the Department of Social Services.

We'll reconvene in six months, at which time the court will review the record

and consider Mr. Stulwitz's petition for permanent guardianship.

That's all, folks.

I won?

You won.

We live together?

Oh.

Yes, you do.