Original subtitles

[theme music]

Oh, no.

What's the matter?

Gas.

Oh, we need gas?

No, we don't need gas.

I got gas.

Maybe I shouldn't have eat in that last burrito.

I don't think it was the last burrito that got you.

I think it was the two before the last one that did you in.

Cute, Jonathan, cute.

I knew you wouldn't understand.

I mean, what would you know about lower back pain and gas?

You got that too?

Yeah, sure I got that.

I got everything today.

Are you sure you can drive?

[exhales] I knew you wouldn't understand, trying to explain

physical pain to an angel.

You know, when you get 30 years of age,

everything starts to go.

Boy to be a kid again.

Youth is wasted on the young and they

don't appreciate it none of it.

I don't know.

Nah, none of them do.

Some of them do.

Nah, they don't, I'm telling you.

And they got it all, too.

You know, they got health, they got stamina, regularity.

They take it all for granted.

They don't know what's waiting for them.

[exhales]

What's our next assignment anyhow?

Camp Good Times.

What, you mean a kids camp?

That's right.

Oh, Jonathan, come on.

Give me a break, will you?

I just told you how I feel.

Now you tell me I got to go to some camp,

spend time with a bunch of noisy,

unappreciative, spoiled brats.

Now how do you know that they're spoiled?

Because I know.

They're all spoiled.

You think I went to camp when I was a kid?

No, sirree, Bob.

I worked on my grandpa's farm.

I mean, I had it tough, not like these kids today.

They don't know what tough is.

I think these kids do.

Oh, really?

Yeah, really.

All these kids have cancer.

BETTY: From the looks of these references,

you fellows should do just fine.

They way these recommendations read,

you two sound like angels.

Oh, it's half right.

[chuckles] In this pre-camp period,

your jobs are going to be centered around reaching

those kids we really think could benefit

from the camp experience.

Talk to them, tell them about the camp,

see if you can't sign them up.

How'd you get started on this?

What are you, a social worker?

My son has cancer.

This is where they do the radiation therapy.

It doesn't hurt or anything and the kids

don't feel it unless they have a brain tumor,

and then they get side effects-- nausea, stuff like that.

Those pen marks on the side of his face, that shows where

to localize the radiation.

He's just a baby.

Yeah, they're all babies, especially when they're yours.

These are the laminar flow units--

different kids who have just had bone marrow

transplants or leukemia kids who are at high risk of infection.

Any kind of little infection can be deadly for these kids

so they keep them in here.

There's a constant flow of air coming from the room

so bacteria on the outside can't go in.

But at least they can keep the door open so they

don't feel totally shut in.

How long they have to spend in here?

BETTY: Mhm, three, four months for most.

It can be 9 months to a year for a few.

They're mother can't kiss them or anything?

BETTY: No, they can't even touch them except with gloves on.

There's a little boy down here named Curtis.

He's going to be getting out in a couple of days.

I would love to be able to get him to camp.

His mother needs him to go to camp as much as he does,

maybe more.

What do you mean?

For the past year now, she's been in the hospital with him.

She's in here 16 hours a day.

Can't really blame her, can you?

[chuckles] I'd be the last person to blame anyone.

When my son first went back to school,

I used to go there three times a day just

to be sure he was still alive.

I used to take him into the shower with me

because I was scared to leave him for a few minutes

when he first got home from the hospital.

[exhales] I know what she's going through.

And if you guys could get him to camp,

that'd be a minor miracle.

OK, see if it runs.

[engine revving]

[chuckles]

Hi, Betty.

Cindy, I'd like you to meet two new counselors,

Mark Gordon and Jonathan Smith.

This is the sweetest nurse on the floor, Cindy Meyerson.

Ah, Cindy, would you take Jonathan and Mark upstairs,

show them the playroom, answer any questions they might have.

Sure, I was just going that way myself.

Good, thanks. See you guys later.

CINDY: On the clinic days when the parents bring the kids

in for tests, the kids go through their procedures

and then it can be three or four hours

before they get the results.

This is kind of a nice place where they

can wait and play with kids.

Betty will tell you, when you've got a kid with cancer

even if they're in remission, you live from one blood test

to the next.

Cindy.

Yeah?

What's the kid doing with a needle in the doll?

She's administering a spinal tap.

She's kind of play therapy.

Our kids don't play with dolls in quite

the same way as other kids.

The spinal tap ones, I still remember.

Yeah, she has one every month.

These kids, uh--

they know how serious their sickness is?

Do you mean do they know about death?

Yeah, I guess that's what I mean.

Yes, I think they do.

I don't think they're afraid of it though,

especially the little ones.

They're afraid of their illness, the pain and everything.

But I don't think they're afraid of death.

How can that be?

I held two kids in my arms when they died.

You know what their last words were?

Take care of mommy and daddy.

Take care of my brother and sister.

Um, I'll wait for you outside.

Cindy, I'll be right back.

Hey, you OK?

Look, um, I don't think I can handle this one, you know?

I think maybe this one assignment,

maybe I should just sit out.

Why?

Why?

Look around you, look at these kids.

I can't handle it, OK.

I'm meet you in the TV room.

Last but not least, the play yard.

Yeah, it's nice.

So that's the whole $0.50 tour.

And I appreciate it.

I think I see one of my first customers right over there.

Oh, Jason.

You won't have to sell him on camp.

Look, I have a lot of office work to do.

Jonathan, I'm really glad to have you with us.

- Thank you. - I'll see you later.

All right.

How are you doing?

Hi.

You're Jason, right?

Yeah.

My name is Jonathan.

A nurse named Cindy told me you really like camp.

You bet.

Well, look, my job is to go around and talk to the kids

about going to camp, and I've never been there.

I thought you might be able to help me,

you know, give me some ideas about the stuff

you liked about it.

Well, there's stuff I like about camp

because it's not there.

There's stuff like about camp because it is there.

Well, tell me some of the stuff

you like because it isn't there.

Nobody teases you.

When I'm at school, sometimes kids,

especially this kid named Timmy, he pulls off my cap, you know--

JONATHAN: Yeah.

--to see if I have any hair.

But lots of kids at camp don't have any hair,

and no one really cares anyway because everybody

just wants to have fun.

What else you like?

My best friend goes there.

He lives pretty far away so we only see each other at camp.

That's him and me.

His name's Jimmy Patterson.

He knows all kinds of neat stuff.

Yeah, looks like you guys got a couple of big ones.

Oh, I would've caught nothing without Jimmy.

His dad goes fishing with him a lot

so he knows about that stuff.

Jimmy, he places his wheels close to some of the girls.

You know, that's a lot of fun too.

I don't know, it's just lots of fun.

Is there anything you don't like?

The only thing I didn't like about camp

was when it was over.

Camps where the whole rest of the world

should be all the time.

I mean, I hate it when people feel sorry for me.

I just want to be ordinary, you know.

Yeah.

Yeah, Jason, I know.

Look, I just think this thing's a waste of time,

you know.

That's not what your family doctor thinks.

Come on, it's a football injury.

I got tackled, it's hardly a big deal.

That happens all the time.

All we want to do is run some tests.

If there's nothing there, there's nothing there.

Yeah, well, I don't have what these kids have, you know.

Nobody said you did.

Then why do we have to have the tests here?

It's not very pleasant being around these children.

Can't we have these tests someplace else?

Your family doctor said he wanted a specialist

to look at your son.

This is where those specialists are.

That's why the tests have to be done here.

Now it shouldn't take more than a few days.

We have facilities for all of you over at the guest house.

All we want to do is make sure your son is all right.

And if there's a problem, that he gets the proper treatment.

JONATHAN: Yeah, I'm telling you, it's a real camp, Curtis.

I mean, they got horses, they got fishing, boating.

They got everything.

Oh, I couldn't go there.

Why not?

All the germs and stuff, that's why I'm in here

so the germs won't get me.

But from what I hear, the germs are no big deal anymore.

You're getting to go home soon.

Yeah, but my mom will keep the germs away from me at home.

All right, what if your doctor and your mom and your dad

said it was all right for you to go to camp,

would you want to go then?

I can't do that stuff.

I'm sick and I have to take my medications.

They've got doctors there to give

the kids their medications.

They take care of all that, and they have a good time too.

Would you let my mom come?

Nope, no mom's allowed, just for kids just like you.

You got to be a kid and you have to have

cancer to get to go there.

Go where?

I'm Curtis's mother.

Well, hi.

I'm Jonathan Smith.

I'm just telling your boy, here, about Camp Good Times and all

the neat stuff they have there.

Don't you think you should have spoken to me first?

I came down and talked to both of you.

Well, the answer is no.

Curtis can't go to any camp, not even out of the laminar flow

unit yet.

I understand he's about to go home.

Yes, home, Mr. Smith, not off to some tent city

in the wilderness.

Mrs. Johnson, I'm not talking about some tent

city in the wilderness.

I'm talking about a place where kids like Curtis

can go and just be kids for a week and have fun.

Fun, it's not one of our big priorities

right now, Mr. Smith.

We just want to get him into remission.

Besides, he doesn't even want to go.

Do you, Curtis?

Uh, I-- I think it would be scary.

Is that enough of an answer for you, Mr. Smith?

Mrs. Johnson, all kids are scared about going

to camp their first time.

It's got nothing to do with cancer.

Mr. Smith, everything in our lives has to do with cancer.

I just can't handle this one.

Why?

Why?

I just can't-- I can't take looking at those kids knowing

there's nothing I can do except stand

around and feel sorry for them. - Oh, come on.

They don't want you to feel sorry for them,

they want to live.

For a lot of those kids, that's going to be a long time,

as long as anybody else.

What about the others?

They want to live too for however long that is.

They want to live and laugh and have fun like other kids.

Get to listen to him today instead

of feeling sorry for yourself, you would have heard him.

Little guy tells me he wants to go to camp until he's big,

and then be a counselor so he can help other little kids.

Another one wants to grow up to be a doctor

so he can help fight cancer.

You-- you've got a chance to get involved with the greatest

bunch of kids in the world.

I mean, they're holding their hands out for you and you're

running away from them.

Because I can't do anything for them.

You be there for them.

Just be there for them.

Help them laugh, help them have fun.

Help them forget about having cancer for a while.

And if you got the guts, you can be there for them

when they need to cry too.

I'll see you around.

JASON: Hey, Mr. Could you get my plane out of that tree please?

Something wrong, Mr?

No, there's nothing wrong.

It's OK to cry.

You got a kid in there, ha?

No, I haven't got a kid in there.

I feel sorry for the kids in there, that's all.

Oh, that's all.

I thought you had a real problem.

Ah, you wouldn't understand, kid.

Oh, I wouldn't, ha?

What do you think I'm doing, entering a Telly

Savalas lookalike contest?

Now could you fall apart after you get my plane down, please?

[groans]

Thanks, Mr. And tighten up, OK.

Yeah, kid, I will.

[music playing]

- Jonathan. - Yeah, hi.

How are you? - OK.

I'm Jason's mother.

Oh, hi, a pleasure.

You and he seem to hit if off pretty well.

Oh, yeah.

He and his buddy, Jimmy Patterson,

are going to teach me how to spit for accuracy and distance.

Jimmy Patterson is a total gross out.

But Jason likes him, idolizes him is more like it.

Hey, with a talent like that, what's not to idolize?

[laughs] I wonder if I could ask you a favor?

For sure, you name it.

Jason has to have a spinal tap this afternoon,

last test before camp.

I have to go to work.

[exhales] Usually, he doesn't make a fuss,

but now he's saying he won't do it without his dad being there.

Yeah, he was telling me his dad's on tour.

Yeah.

That's how the great Miki Winner deals with Jason's cancer,

staying on the road.

I don't want to lay all this on you.

But, uh, well, could you be with him when he has the spinal?

I think just to have a man that he looks

up to with him would help.

Sure, I'd be happy to.

What time?

Around 2:00?

I'll be there.

[exhales] Thank you so much.

It's my pleasure, believe me.

You take care of yourself.

OK.

We're all set, everything's loaded.

Homeward bound.

I really appreciate you giving us a ride

home like this, Jonathan.

Oh, it's no problem.

Can't understand that, my car's usually so dependable.

BOB AND DENNIS: Welcome home!

Hey, Curtis.

Dad!

Welcome home, buddy!

Dennis!

Curtis, we got cake and ice-cream for you.

CURTIS: Oh, that's great.

No kissing.

Dennis, don't kiss him.

Bob, would you keep Dennis under control please?

Why?

Why shouldn't he kiss his own brother?

Because he just came out of living

in a bubble for four months.

He doesn't need to be overwhelmed

with germs the minute he walks through the door.

Hey, my favorite kind of cake.

Look at all that chocolate.

Honey, I-- I know you really want some,

but I just don't think chocolate's going

to be the best thing for your tummy right now.

Oh, come on, just a little.

I asked Dr. Cohn, he said--

Why do you make me the policeman all the time?

Why are you always putting me in a position where

you're offering all these neat things,

and I'm always the one that has to say no?

I asked the doctor, Sherri.

Do you have a medical degree?

He does.

And is Dr. Cohn going to be the one to sit up with him

and clean up after him when he gets sick to his stomach?

He is still on chemotherapy.

Uh, can I go to my room please?

Of course, honey.

You must be exhausted.

Oh, Jonathan, I'm sorry. - Oh, no.

It's OK.

I'll take the bags to the room and get the rest of his stuff.

Thank you.

How does it feel to be home?

OK, I guess.

Ah!

Imagine having been cooped up all that time,

you can finally get outside and play a little bit.

Well, I don't think my mom would let me do that.

It's kind of stuffy in here.

I'll open the window for you.

Hey, Curtis, come here a minute.

CURTIS: What?

Come here, I'll show you.

Come here, take a look.

I think you got a little family living

right outside your window.

CURTIS: Oh, look at them, Jonathan, just look at them.

When I went to the hospital, you know,

I don't think I'd ever get to see this kind of stuff again.

Hey, you're going to get to see a lot of neat stuff

in your life.

Yeah.

You know, I've never even seen a baby bird in your life,

just on TV.

What's the window doing open?

Oh, mom, there's some birds out there, little baby ones.

Well, that's fine, but you don't

need a window open to see them.

No, I open the window, Mrs. Johnson.

Well, now you can close it please.

We just got you home from the hospital, honey.

I just don't want to take any chances.

Do you understand?

Yeah.

You know, I know it's none of my business,

but I really don't think a little fresh air

will hurt him after being cooped up for so long.

You're right, Mr. Smith, it is none of your business.

I'll get the rest of his things.

You know, Mrs. Johnson, he's not in the hospital.

I know that.

Then why are you still standing outside his room?

[music playing]

Mr. Winner, you son, Jason, is having

a test in the hospital at 2 o'clock,

and he'd feel a lot better if you can be there.

Lets go.

Oh, I get to go to camp.

Hey, take it easy.

You're going to have nothing left for camp.

Oh, yes, I will.

Are you sure you don't want us to give you a ride home?

Heck, no.

I feel like walking.

See you guys later.

MARK: All right.

TIMMY: Hey, how's the big stars kid doing?

Just fine, Timmy.

Hey, Jason.

We're going to get haircuts if you want to come.

JASON: Hey, why don't you just leave me alone?

I'm just trying to be friendly.

Don't you need your hair cut?

Here, let's take a look.

[laughs]

Leave me alone, Timmy.

Give me my cap.

What?

Jason's mad.

Ah, yo!

Give the kid back his hat.

And what are you going to do if I don't?

What about if I tear the lips off that smart mouth

of yours for openers?

Who wants his stupid cap anyways?

Let's go.

See want I mean about that guy?

See what I mean?

How can one kid be so mean to another kid?

[chuckles] Somebody ought to teach that kid a less--

Jonathan?

Jonathan?

I'll see you guys later.

Ah!

My mom wants me to get a haircut,

you know, but just take a little off the collar.

I mean, don't touch the beauty, right.

JONATHAN: Right.

You're going to love it.

[buzzing of clippers]

Gary, your parents have asked me to explain

the test results to you.

Just tell me if it's good or bad.

You have osteogenic sarcoma.

In English.

Bone cancer.

Oh, my God.

DR. COHN: Gary, we've caught it in time.

Your chances for survival are excellent.

I mean, excellent.

And catching it as early as we have,

we just might be able to save the limb too.

Save the limb?

You mean you might have to cut off my leg?

I mean, there's a decent chance we won't have to.

We're going to put you on chemotherapy for eight weeks,

then we're going to take some more tests.

And if you've responded, we'll be

able to open the leg up, take out the diseased bone

and put in prosthesis.

And then we'll just sew you up and send you home.

[whimpering] And if I haven't responded?

Then we're going to save your life.

You mean cut off my leg?

DR. COHN: If that's the only option left us, yes.

Your life is what counts.

[music playing]

[curtis coughing]

Oh.

What's wrong?

Shh!

[curtis coughing]

I knew it!

No, no. What did you know?

He just coughed.

Curtis.

Curtis, honey.

Sherri, he's asleep.

Leave him alone.

Curtis!

Curtis!

What's wrong, Mommy?

You were coughing, baby.

Are you feeling OK?

I don't know, I guess so.

All right, sweetheart, get dressed.

I'm going to take you back to the hospital.

Sherri, why the hell are you doing this?

He was asleep, and he just coughed.

Look, let's just wait till in the morning.

And if something's bothering him,

then we can call the doctor.

I'm not going to wait till in the morning.

Mommy, I'm scared.

That's OK, baby.

Mamma's going to take you to the doctor.

MR. JOHNSON: Sherri, you're the one who's scared.

You don't have to go if you don't want to,

but I'm not taking any chances with my son.

[loudly exhales] All right.

All right, I'll go get the car.

MAN (ON TV): It's 2 o'clock in the morning and time

for the night owl theater.

How you doing?

Hey.

It's 2 o'clock in the morning.

I didn't realize I've been at it that long.

My name is Jonathan Smith.

You're Gary Duncan, right?

How'd you know my name?

It's on my list.

I was supposed to talk to you tomorrow before you went home.

It looks like tomorrow is already here.

What are you, a guidance counselor or something?

No, for Camp Good Times.

Forget it.

I already heard the pitch from the doctor, I'm not interested.

It's quite a place.

Hey, I got cancer, OK.

My hair is going to fall out from the stinking chemotherapy.

They might have to cut off my leg.

So I'm not what you want to call a real fun guy right now.

Why don't you just leave me alone?

Look, Gary, I know what you're going through.

You do?

Do you have cancer?

I asked you a question, do you have cancer?

No, son, I don't.

Then you don't know how I feel.

I came in here because I couldn't take hearing my mom

crying next to me all night.

I don't want to think about it.

I don't want to talk about it.

I just want to be left alone.

[tv show in background]

OK.

Just remember there's a place where you can go and be

with a bunch of kids that know exactly

what you're going through because they're

going through it too.

He's fine, Mrs. Johnson.

Are you sure?

I mean, he was coughing.

Maybe he had something in his throat, I don't know.

[chuckles] I'll tell you what, just to be 100% positive,

we'll keep him in overnight and watch him.

Thank you, Doctor.

Are you going to put him in the laminar flow unit?

Of course, not.

[exhales loudly]

I just thought maybe he came out too soon.

I mean, we had the window open and his brother

was kissing him.

Sherri, it would do him a world of good

to go outdoors to get some sun, to build his strength back up.

He's not going to get that in bed.

That's just what I told her.

DR. COHN: Look, why don't you go home, get some sleep.

Tomorrow--

No, I'm not going home.

I'm not going to leave him like this.

DR. COHN: All right.

Just go over to the guest house, they have a room open.

And if there's a slightest change, I'll call you, OK?

OK.

We'll be close by, darling.

[exhales loudly]

Macaroni?

I hate macaroni.

Well, it's the only thing I have

in the house that was bland.

I'll do some shopping today and we'll get something else.

They said the blander the better with chemotherapy.

Can I have something to drink please?

They said you should avoid drinking with meals, Gary.

I don't know what difference it makes.

They're going to cut my leg off anyway.

[phones rings]

I'll get it.

Hello.

Oh, hi, Kathy.

Huh?

No, I wasn't avoiding you or anything.

I was just feeling kind of sick, that's all.

No, I'm great now.

Yeah from, uh-- from football.

A hamstring, you know.

No, I don't want to see anybody right now.

I'm not lying.

Yeah.

Yeah, I'm still here.

Look, forget what I said, I do want to see you.

So that's the deal, Jason.

You see this kid Curtis, he's pretty scared right now.

Of what?

Of everything.

And he's the kind of kid that really needs to go to camp.

He's scared of that too.

Ah, everybody's scared the first time, but then it's fun.

I was scared the first time until meeting Jimmy Patterson--

stuffed spaghetti down a girl counselor's back.

[laughs]

We told her it was worms.

Right.

Now that's the kind of thing he's got to hear.

Not so much about the spaghetti, you know,

but that everybody's scared.

Right.

So we thought maybe we just had a little talk with him.

I could get him unscared.

You got it.

OK, I'll give it a try.

This is my best friend, Jimmy.

We go fishing all the time, and look at this.

Look at this bass we caught.

They're good to eat.

And look at this tackle box, it's

got all kinds of neat stuff we can go fishing--

Well, what do you think?

Jason's really in there pitching,

I'll say that for him.

[chuckles] That's my boy.

I've never even been fishing.

It's easy, me and Jimmy will show you how.

The hard part is getting the worm on the hook

without him pooping on you.

And Jimmy showed me how to do that.

And we have weenie rolls and horses

and canoes and ghost stories.

It's just the neatest place in the whole world.

Weren't you scared though?

Sure, I was.

I mean, camp was the first place I ever slept away

from home, except the hospital.

But you know what?

What?

You don't feel bad up there.

What do you mean?

Well, I mean, I don't know why I got sick.

I used to think I did something bad

and that's why God punished me.

And my mom would get all sad all the time, you know.

Yeah, my mom's like that, but my dad's pretty good though.

How about yours?

My dad, well, he's a real famous musician

and he's on the road a lot too.

But he worries about me too.

So you know what else I like about camp?

It helps me forget about being sick,

and it helps me forget about my mom and dad for a while.

I mean, I don't have to worry about them while I'm up there.

I'm having fun.

That's why I know God isn't punishing

me because I'm having fun.

It sure sounds great.

JASON: It is great.

I bet if you came up to camp, we'd be in the same bunkhouse.

You think so?

JASON: Sure.

And Mark, he's going to be our bunk counselor.

He's a funny guy.

I kind of wish I could go.

Then why don't you?

Because my mom, she'll never let me go.

Hey, Curtis, parents are a piece of cake.

All you got to do is nag.

You can make them do anything.

Hey, Curtis, you mom's coming.

Jason, let's go.

Hey, Curtis, remember what I said, nag.

Hey, you want some of my fries?

No, thanks.

Are you sure?

Yeah.

I haven't had much of an appetite since I got hurt.

Yeah, well, the team is doing lousy without you.

[chuckles]

And so I heard.

Yeah, when are you going to start playing again?

Oh, I don't know.

Hamstring, you know, it takes a while.

Yeah, well, I'm glad you were just hurt.

I mean, I'm not glad that you were hurt.

I just thought you didn't want to see me anymore

and you were just using it as an excuse.

I wanted to see you, Kathy.

I just-- will you ever get the feeling

that you're just completely alone,

that nobody understands anything of what you're going through?

Mm-hmm, sure, all the time.

My mom says that's how all teenagers feel.

You know, like it's no big deal.

Yeah, no big deal.

Come on, listen.

I know you're feeling down right now because you're

not able to play football.

But just think, summer's almost here.

We are finally old enough to drive.

Come on, this is so neat.

My dad is buying me a car.

[chuckles] This is going to be the neatest summer

of our lives.

[exhales] Come on.

This is our first night together in a long time.

What's wrong?

Gary, your hair.

Oh, my God.

Gary!

Gary!

You had no right sending that little boy over

to fill Curtis up with all those ideas about camp.

How could you be so cruel?

Building him up for something he can't even do.

Dr. Cohn thinks it'd be the best

thing in the world for him.

I'll decide what's the best thing for my son, not Dr. Cohn

and certainly not you.

I am just trying to get him to a place

where he can come home for a while

and stay out of the hospital.

Is that really true, Mrs. Johnson?

How dare you ask me something like that?

Because I think you're more comfortable when

your son is in the hospital.

I think you're less afraid and it's perfectly understandable.

Don't you patronize me or tell me what's understandable.

You can't understand a thing of what it's like having

a child you know might die.

He's a child that just might live.

He wants to live.

He wants to be a normal little kid.

Don't you think I want that for him too?

Don't you think I wish I could give him that?

Well, you can, but not this way.

Sherri, you're still living in the damn bubble.

You're-- you're like an emotional laminar flow unit.

Look, I know it's scary to come out,

but if you don't, he's never going

to have a chance to be a kid.

And what if I let him go, who's going to be there if he--

They're doctors there.

I mean, if the slightest problem came up,

you'd be the first one they'd call.

I don't know.

Look, this isn't just a chance for him to be a little kid.

It's a chance for you to be a woman who--

who doesn't have to worry about her child's cancer for a week.

It's a chance for Curtis not to worry about you for a week.

Oh, yeah, he worries about you.

He worries that he makes you and your husband so sad

that you fight all the time.

Now that's one hell of a load for a kid to carry.

You're the one who told him to nag?

[chuckles] No, no, not me.

That was-- that was Jason, advice from one kid to another.

Oh, smart kid.

It's all he's been doing all day long,

camp this, camp that so he can stuff

spaghetti down some counselor's bra and tell ghost stories.

What does he usually talk about, Sherri?

His treatments, chemo, spinal tap.

I see what you mean.

It's-- it's just so hard.

JONATHAN: I know.

But you got to stop being scared.

Hey, none of us know what's going to happen tomorrow.

What's important is how we live today.

OK.

I'll go tell Curtis he can go.

OK.

I'm not sure I like the idea of him stuffing spaghetti

down a counselor's bra though.

[knock on door]

Hi, there.

Hi.

You're Cindy, right, the nurse from the laminar flow unit?

Not this week.

This week I'm Cindy, the counselor.

Don't you ever take a vacation?

Yeah, this is it.

You're kidding?

You get one vacation a year, and you're

going to spend it at a camp?

And what's so strange about that?

I don't know.

Just would have thought the last place

you'd want to spend your vacation

is around kids with cancer.

I thought maybe you want to get away from it for a while.

Look, Mark.

The only time I get to see these kids all year

long is when they're getting chemo or spinal taps

or radiation or blood tests.

The only time I get to see them is when they're sick

and I'm causing them some kind of pain.

Now at the camp, I get to see them run and play

and laugh and have a good time.

I'm not even going to be the camp nurse this time,

let somebody else give them the blood test.

I'm just one of the girls.

I'll see on the bus.

You're sure you want to go?

Yeah, I'm sure.

We're going to miss you, Gary.

Right.

Well, I better get on the bus.

Oh, come here.

- Bye, Mom. - Take care.

Bye, Dad.

Well, how's this for service, darling?

I'll carry you right to your seat.

I told you I'd be willing to come, Mr. Smith.

Hey, I never doubted for a minute.

- Bye-bye. - Have a great time, babe.

Listen, you write us a letter, OK?

Don't worry, I will.

You think maybe dad could come up for parents day?

I don't know, kiddo.

I'll work on him.

So don't count on it, ha?

No, don't count on it.

Hey, but I'll be there.

What am I, chopped liver?

JIMMY: Hey, Jason!

Jimmy!

Hey, Jason, look what I've got here?

Live one-- big, fat, juicy live one.

What a guy!

See you, Mom.

Boy, I sure wish I was getting to go to camp.

Uh-uh, you got to have cancer to get in on the fun.

How are you feeling, baby?

A little scared.

Well, first time at camp, you're supposed to, right?

CURTIS: Right.

MR. JOHNSON: You're getting to be quite a big boy, you know.

Yeah, I guess so.

Hey, you just go and have the best time a kid ever had, OK?

OK, Dad.

[bus engine revving]

That goes for me too.

OK.

MARK: All right, Curtis, all aboard!

Mommy.

Yeah, baby.

Thank you.

[whistling] All right, you kids ready for camp?

[all screaming yeah]

All right, let's go!

[all screaming yeah]

[MUSIC - THE KIBOOMERS, "BOOM CHICKA BOOM"]

(CHANTING) I said a boom, chicka boom!

(CHANTING) I said a boom, chicka boom!

(CHANTING) I said a boom, chicka boom!

(CHANTING) I said a boom, chicka boom!

(CHANTING) I said a boom, chicka rocka, chicka rocka,

chicka boom!

(CHANTING) I said a boom, chicka rocka, chicka rocka,

chicka boom! (CHANTING) Uh-huh!

(CHANTING) Uh-huh!

(CHANTING) Oh, yeah!

(CHANTING) Oh, yeah!

(CHANTING) One more time.

(CHANTING) One more time.

(CHANTING) I said a boom, chicka boom!

(CHANTING) I said a boom, chicka boom!

(CHANTING) I said a boom, chicka boom!

(CHANTING) I said a boom, chicka boom!

(CHANTING) I said a boom, chicka rocka, chicka rocka,

chicka boom!

(CHANTING) I said a boom, chicka rocka, chicka rocka,

chicka boom!

(CHANTING) Oh yeah!

(CHANTING) Oh, yeah!

(CHANTING) Uh-huh!

(CHANTING) Uh-huh!

(CHANTING) One more time.

(CHANTING) One more time.

[theme song]