Original subtitles

[theme music]

You're awful quiet tonight.

Just thinking.

Hm.

You're right.

About what?

About what you were thinking.

Jonathan, I wasn't thinking about anything

to be right about.

I was just thinking, you know?

I mean, you don't know everything.

What were you thinking about?

All right.

You're so smart, you tell me.

Old radio shows.

All right.

So I was thinking about old radio shows.

What's the big deal in that?

Well, if you're going to get mad about it,

let's just forget it. - I am not mad.

And I do not want to forget about it.

All right.

I was thinking about old radio shows.

How I used to listen to them when I was a kid.

You know, "The Shadow," "Fibber McGee and Molly,"

"The Masked Rider," and how they--

Yeah, it was.

It really was.

There you go again.

It was what?

It was fun to use your imagination on the radio.

It was fun. - All right.

All right. So you got that.

Jonathan, will you do me one favor?

If you are going to read my mind,

will you wait at least until I finish a thought before jumping

ahead of me like that?

Fine, I'm sorry.

You'd better slow down.

Why, I'm not going too fast.

But we're going to have to stop pretty soon

and I know how you hate it when I do that for you.

Jonathan, I was a cop.

I was a cop.

I have perfect night vision, instant reflexes.

I was going to stop.

I really hate it when you do that.

Rotten.

Hey, you need--

You ought to watch the way you're driving, bub.

The way you were barreling down this road, I'm lucky

you saw me.

Well, yeah, um.

Give you a hand there, mister?

Doctor.

You want us to get you a doctor?

No, you blamed fool.

I'm a doctor.

I'm not a mister.

I have an emergency at a farmhouse down the road here.

I'd appreciate a lift.

Yeah, sure.

Hop in.

Probably I'm taking my life in my hands.

But it beats walking.

What happened back there?

Car crashed, or didn't you see it?

Yeah, I saw it.

Couldn't tell by the way you were driving.

MARK GORDON: How'd it happen?

How'd it happen?

I'll tell you how it happened.

I'm too old to be driving around at night.

That's how it happened.

I couldn't see.

Age is my excuse.

What's yours?

Probably yapping away, or listening to punk rock music.

My name is Dr. Hudsbeth.

What's yours?

Mark Gordon.

Keep your eye on the road, son.

One crash tonight is about my limit.

I used to know an old lady named Fiona Gordon.

You any relation? - No, no.

I'm from--

Well, she's the only one with that name

that lived around here.

Nice old lady.

How about you?

I'm Smith.

Jonathan Smith.

I'm not from around here either.

Just passing through, eh?

Well, you don't look like criminals.

If you're looking for work, it's worth 15 bucks and food to me

if you drive me around the rest of the night.

I've got some calls to make.

What do you say?

Well--

JONATHAN SMITH: It sounds good to me.

DR. HUDSBETH: First farmhouse on the right.

And slow down for Pete's sake.

There's a dip.

[doorbell rings]

Oh.

Thanks for coming out here, doc.

Don't thank me until you see my bill.

These fellows are my two new drivers, Maggie.

Pay them no mind.

Come on, boys.

Follow me.

You may learn something.

How bad has he been wheezing?

Awful bad, doc.

It just came on all of a sudden.

Poor little guy, I don't know what to do for him.

Well, the first thing you can do is look less scared.

A little boy sees his momma looking like that,

figures he must be real sick.

He doesn't have any infection.

And it's not pneumonia.

I'm going to give him some epinephrine.

And Maggie, I want you to get a sheet.

And these two fellows here are going to help you rig up a tent

right here on Robbie's bed.

Now Robbie, roll over on your other side.

That a boy, now, Robbie, I'm going to give you a shot.

Just a little shot.

And it's going to hurt a little.

But the instant you feel the hurt, the worst is over, OK?

That's it.

The worst is over.

Everything is downhill from here.

Now Robbie, it's going to make your heart go a little fast.

But it's nothing to worry about.

And if you like crying, you go right ahead and cry.

Because most folks do when they get this shot.

I've got the sheet.

DR. HUDSBETH: All right.

[baby crying]

Oh, that's the little one.

She's feeling poorly too.

Well, let's look in on her too.

Now, would you fellows build the tent

right here on Robbie's bed?

Put the vaporizer inside the tent.

All the steam should be inside the tent.

I want a London fog.

Now Maggie, do you have that other vaporizer I gave you?

Yes.

Give it to Mark here and we'll get that one going too.

I want a London fog in this tent.

Thanks for all your help, mister.

He kept asking for his dad.

Something about he promised to make him a spaceship.

I know.

His father was drowned in a fishing accident

about three months ago.

I'm sorry.

And they never found his body.

And Robbie just won't accept the fact he's gone.

How far apart are they, Gloria?

All right.

Now where's Cleavon?

OK.

Gloria, be calm.

I'll be right there.

And we'll take you to the hospital.

No, no, don't you worry.

That baby won't dare poke his head out until I get there.

OK?

Bye. OK.

Let's go.

Doc.

I, uh--

I don't have any money to pay you.

You don't, eh?

I guess you'll have to make me one of those pies.

I don't work for nothing, you know.

Thanks, doc.

Call me first thing in the morning, Maggie.

Let me know how he's doing.

[music playing]

Doc?

You all right?

Doc?

Of course I'm all right.

I'm not having the baby, she is.

There.

There, you're doing it.

That's a girl, that a girl.

Ease up.

Ease up.

Ease up.

There.

I told you this fellow wouldn't come

down the pipe until I got here.

Are we going to the hospital, doc?

Not tonight.

We're going to do this the same way

your great grandmother did it.

Wouldn't it be safer in the hospital?

Gloria, you can have your baby here, or in this fellow's car.

Take your pick.

I hoped by now Cleavon would be back.

GLORIA: I tried to reach him.

He's on duty.

They got a big fire over in Harley County

and they got paramedics from three counties down there.

Well, we're going to have to have a surprise for him

when he gets home.

Mark?

Prop her up.

That's it.

Easy does it. Easy does it.

Come on.

A little more.

OK?

All right.

That's a good one, missy.

Gloria, if you get one more like that,

I want you to bear down and help this little fellow.

[music playing]

Doc.

You're the one that needs to get to a hospital.

Either one of you fellows delivered a baby before?

I was a cop.

I've done it twice.

Well, tonight going to make three times.

Look.

I've got to get him to a hospital.

I'm going to use the stuff to get him there.

You go ahead.

Go ahead?

I don't even know you.

Lady, before the night's out, we're going

to be on a first name basis.

Oh.

Heaven, help me.

Yeah, you got that right.

[music playing]

All right, Gloria. Push down.

Push down. Come on.

The baby needs your help.

Here it comes again.

Gloria, push down.

Come on.

I can't push.

It hurts.

Come on, Gloria.

Push.

Boy, I'm going to need some help with this one.

You?

What about me?

Come on, Gloria. Push down.

Come on. Come on.

You can do it.

Where am I?

Harley County General.

I've got to get back to my patient.

Be quiet, Doc.

Don't you tell me to be quiet.

I brought you into this world.

And I'll take you out of it, sassing me.

Dr. Hudsbeth, you are my patient.

And you will kindly shut up.

Now, you haven't had a heart attack.

Of course not.

If I passed out, it was from arrhythmia.

DR. SIMS: Well, that's exactly what happened.

But you need rest.

And you need to be quiet.

I was practicing medicine for 20 years when

you were still playing jacks.

Now don't aggravate me.

I'm a sick man.

Just hand me a phone so I can call my patient.

All right.

You are the stubbornest old man that ever lived.

Here.

Turn over.

I want to see your best side.

Push down, Gloria. Come on.

Push down.

Good, good, effort.

Outstanding.

[phone ringing]

I'd better get that.

They may have reached your husband.

Don't mind me.

Just make yourself at home, you know.

Hello?

Yeah, just a minute.

It's for you.

Hello?

What?

Oh, yeah, they're real close together now, doc.

Here comes another one.

MARK GORDON: Push.

Push.

What?

I said, push.

Push. MARK GORDON: Come on, Gloria.

Bear down.

Bear down. That's it.

That's it.

I can see him.

Come on, darling.

Push.

Help that child.

Help him, Gloria.

Come on.

Come on.

[baby crying]

That's the first one I've ever done long distance.

[music playing]

Here we go.

Well, we did it.

We sure did.

I'm going to name you, little baby,

after the man who made your birth possible.

You're going to call him Mark?

Alexander Graham Bell Johnson.

[music playing]

I don't need this wheelchair.

It's hospital policy and you know it.

You talk pretty big for an intern.

Well, I had this strict teacher

when I was a little boy.

Taught me with the end of a hickory switch

when I stole some melons.

You're not too big for me to take that switch to you again.

See if you fellas can keep him off his feet

as much as possible.

Should have been in here for more than three days, as it is.

These fellows aren't going to keep me from a thing.

They're nothing but itinerants.

Probably escaped convicts.

Probably the biggest mistake I made

was to hire them to drive me around.

Well, I felt sorry for them.

Doc.

Your driving days are through.

I know.

I know.

But I have to see these patients.

And they're too poor to drive 40 miles down

to this fancy hospital, just to see a smart aleck

young intern like you.

Now, if you want to consider coming back home

and being a simple country doctor,

it'd take a load off me.

Doc, you're one of a kind.

The rest of us can't afford to take payments in baskets

of fruit and corn bread.

I'll go get the car.

OK.

Hey, doc.

I want to thank you for everything.

Oh, no need to thank me for a thing.

He's the reason I went to med school.

Corn bread and fruit.

Mighty fine diet.

High in fiber content.

Probably a darn sight healthier than what you're eating now.

I want to see you back here in two days for some more tests.

All right, all right.

Because I feel sorry for you, I'll let you have the body

of an old man to experiment on.

I'll drop that medicine off to Robbie's mom.

Thank you, Jonathan.

You got it.

What are we doing here?

What do you think we're doing here?

It's my office, you blamed fool.

Well, it says market.

You can read, but you can't drive.

Morning, Minnie.

Oh, morning, doc.

Hear you've been feeling poorly.

You heard wrong.

Oh, good.

But when you have some time, my bunions

have been acting up again.

Let me deal with the little emergencies first, Minnie.

And then we'll get to the life-threatening

ones like yours.

This fellow is with me.

He's a brain surgeon.

Well.

How are we doing, Gloria?

And how's little Alexander?

That is what you call him, isn't it?

Oh, he's doing fine.

He's no trouble at all.

Mark Gordon, my husband, Cleavon.

- How are you doing? - Hi.

Good.

Look at this young man all puffed up

because he got him a son first shot out of the gate.

I want to thank you both for what you did.

Here.

I made two of these, one for each of you.

Oh.

Sweet potato pie.

Oh.

We don't have to report this to the Infernal Revenue Service.

How's the job going?

It's not going.

It's gone.

What are you talking about?

You're the best paramedic they've got.

Hell, you should be.

I taught you everything you know.

The county instituted some cutbacks.

And I was new on the job.

It's a damn shame.

What are you going to do?

Well, I'm going to stop dreaming about med school,

that's for sure. - No, no.

You can't do that.

That's what you love.

You know it.

There's no way to save any money on an orderly's salary.

An orderly?

Hey, doc.

You got to take what you can get.

Yeah, well.

Let's go on inside and have a look at the little fella.

It was nice to meet you.

Thanks again.

Hey, I'm glad I could help.

Oh, boy.

I shouldn't.

But I will.

Thanks again for bringing the medicine out here.

Oh, it's my pleasure.

You really shouldn't have gone to all this trouble.

Oh, no trouble at all.

You take care.

Hey, how are you doing, Robbie?

Hi.

How are you feeling today, a little bit better?

Yes.

Kinda hard, giving up on a sickness, isn't it?

What do you mean?

Well, I know, when I was little,

it used to be kind of fun to be sick.

I mean, after you're over being real, real sick,

and you're just a little bit sick.

And everybody pays attention to you, real nice to you.

My dad always reads me stories whenever I'm sick.

Oh, yeah.

That's fun.

You know, I remember one time, when I was a kid,

I wanted attention so bad, I actually made myself sick.

Man, I'm not kidding you.

I ran a fever and everything.

If my dad knew I was sick, I figured he'd get here.

He just didn't know, I guess.

Or else he would have come.

He would have.

Somebody should have called him.

Yeah, only if they knew his number.

You know, Robbie, the only time people can know what's

going on with the ones they love,

when they're far, far away and there's

no phones or letters or anything is when they're in heaven.

My daddy ain't in heaven.

Because my daddy ain't dead.

Maybe he's living with pirates or something.

My daddy wouldn't have gone off and died

without keeping his promise to me about that spaceship.

My daddy never broke a promise to me ever, ever.

So he ain't dead.

[music playing]

Hey, Minnie.

Oh, why, Charlie Sims, look at you.

I mean, Dr. Sims.

Whoo.

Hey, is the doc through seeing patients for the day?

Well, I reckon he's in there cleaning up.

Well, maybe I'll just poke my head in and say hello.

Hi, Mark.

Doc in there?

Yeah.

You want some of this sweet potato pie?

It's really good.

No, no.

I'll just say hello to doc for a second.

DR. HUDSBETH: Unless you're dying, come back tomorrow.

It's me, doc.

Can I come in?

DR. HUDSBETH: Sure, why not.

Minnie, what are you doing?

I'm eavesdropping.

What does it look like?

You know, for a brain surgeon, you're

pretty slow on the uptake.

You shouldn't be doing that.

Now you listen to me.

Charlie Sims would not have come all the way

out here to see doc if he didn't have some very important news.

The problem isn't just one thing, doc.

It's all the things together.

The problem is you've got a very old heart.

It's a weak muscle.

It's not going to get any stronger.

You need to rest.

And now's the time to take it.

Rest?

All I own in the world is a little piece

of land with a fat mortgage.

Why do you think I work so hard?

You've had that place for 30 years.

It has to be paid for by now.

And how do you think I kept body

and soul together for 30 years?

By refinancing that place.

I now owe more than when I bought it.

That place is all I have in the world.

And I owe 100,000 bucks on it.

If I quit working, where am I going to live?

Doc.

If you don't give up your practice,

you won't have to worry about where you live.

The only piece of land you'll need will be six feet deep.

And we both know that's true, don't we?

Don't we?

Oh, Jonathan.

Thank goodness you're back.

Look, I got to talk fast before the doc comes out.

I know.

Look, Jonathan, it's about the doc.

He-- - Mark, I just told you.

I know.

Mark.

Can you help me with some of these boxes out here?

Oh, yeah.

Sure.

I guess.

It's all right.

Look, I'll take the doc home and I'll meet you later.

It just doesn't seem fair.

I mean, he's given the people his whole life

and he can't even afford to retire.

MINNIE: Mark.

Master's voice.

[music playing]

You feel like a cup of coffee?

Sure, if you'd like the company.

Right.

[music playing]

DR. HUDSBETH: I hope you like your coffee with chicory.

That's how I drink it.

It's the way my mother made it.

Hot and strong.

It keeps you regular.

You can raise the dead with this stuff.

That's good.

I see you were looking at the collection.

And quite a collection it is.

What about you, doc?

You have a family?

No.

Never had a family of my own.

Never seemed to have time.

You know, I must have brought over 1,000 babies

into the world.

I wouldn't mind having a little grandchild of my own

to bounce on my knee, make funny faces at.

Well, I guess it's too late to do anything about that now.

It's too late for everything, except dying.

Not if you slow down.

That's what young Charlie said.

He knows his medicine.

But he has a little bit more to learn about people.

You know, doc.

I'm just passing through.

So if you want to talk, I can listen.

It won't go any further.

It better not.

You'd better keep a tight lip on what I'm saying, you hear?

I've heard about your hickory stick.

I wouldn't dream of crossing you.

What's going to happen to them without me, Jonathan?

A town without a doctor falls apart, dies.

Young people don't want to stay here, and why should they?

The nearest one is in the emergency

ward at Harley County General.

And that's 40 miles away for most folks.

50 for some.

And they don't take them sweet potato pies for payment.

I was praying I could keep going until Cleavon

finished his internship, but that's all over now.

Where are they going to go, Jonathan?

What are they going to do?

The question is, what are you going to do?

About what?

About what Dr. Sims told you, about slowing down.

Oh, I've got to keep working to keep a roof over my head.

Oh.

And that's the only reason, huh?

Well.

They're not just my patients, Jonathan.

They're my family.

And they don't have anybody but me.

The way things look, I won't be here very long.

You ever think about finding a replacement?

DR. HUDSBETH: Where?

Harley County General is a teaching hospital.

Maybe there's a country doctor in that graduating class.

Not a chance.

All the young ones today want to be specialists.

Maybe.

You can't be sure unless you try.

There you go.

That's all of them, I hope.

Yeah.

I'm sorry.

I had no idea there was so much back there.

Of course you didn't.

That's the sad thing about old doc.

The poor guy's just working himself to death,

trying to pay off his mortgage.

Why don't you do something to try to help?

Like what?

Well, with all the pictures in doc's office,

I'd say he's delivered hundreds of babies in his life.

I know that.

Well, the way I figured, I mean,

the man has been giving to people around here

for almost 50 years.

About time he got something back.

Let them know he's in trouble, that he needs help.

I thought that's what country folks were all about.

Yeah.

Yeah.

You're right.

I'm the mail carrier in this county.

And I could slip letters in everybody's mailbox,

asking them to pitch in.

Now you're talking, Minnie.

Would you help me with the letter?

You got it.

[music playing]

Morning, Minnie.

You didn't have to bring the mail

all the way up to the door.

Yeah, I know that, Harold.

I hear your business is doing real well.

Couldn't be better.

Well, I'm glad to hear it.

I need to talk to you.

Well, I'm kind of busy, actually.

This won't take long.

It's about Dr. Hudsbeth.

Yes, I would be more comfortable talking inside.

Yeah, come on.

Nice of you to ask me.

Floyd, this is Jonathan Smith, a young friend of mine.

Jonathan, this is Doc Gleason.

Pleasure to meet you.

Pleased to meet you.

How are you doing, Will?

I'm ambulating.

How's yourself?

Just wrapping things up here so I can retire.

I put in my time with administrative headaches.

Well, I've got them all assembled and waiting for you.

Shall we give it a go?

Might as well.

Good luck.

Thank you.

[music playing]

You see, little guys like me, we're not just doctors.

I believe that at times, we're healers.

We don't do heart transplants.

We do bunions, and babies, and broken limbs.

We bring a lot of folks into this world, and we bury some.

And though it may not be the strictly kosher,

medically-detached way of looking at things,

we cry with our friends.

Because that's what they are, as well as patients.

And we laugh with them too.

Maybe that like the small family farmer, we're a dying breed.

Maybe that our time has passed.

And if that's true, this whole country

will be the poorer for it.

I'm hoping that one of you doctors

will leave the transplants, and the plastic surgery

and the like, to somebody else.

Leave all that and be a small-town, family doctor.

It's long hours.

And it's low pay.

But it's life.

It's right smack down in the middle of it.

And the closer I get to leaving it all behind,

the sweeter it looks.

Hey, excuse me.

Aren't you Cleavon Johnson, Gloria's husband?

Yeah.

Do I know you?

I'm Jonathan Smith.

- Oh, Mark's friend. - Right.

How are you?

I'm fine.

Mark told me about your being laid

off from your paramedic job.

Yeah, well.

You know, I used to dream of going to med school here.

I guess I'll have to be satisfied

with just emptying bedpans.

I'm really sorry.

Yeah, me too.

Me too.

But I'll survive, God willing.

I guess I'd better get back to work.

Tell Mark I said hi, OK?

Will do.

Take care.

You too.

DR. HUDSBETH: Detached way of looking at things,

because that's what they are.

Is the doc having any luck in there?

No.

I think he switched to his preacher mode now.

Trying to find a convert.

But is he getting anybody to answer the call?

Afraid not.

And I can't blame them.

You know, it's hard for a young person

to weigh financial security in the balance

with a chance to practice medicine the way my father did.

The way Will did all these years.

You mean dealing with people instead

of budgets and paperwork?

Yeah.

My father was a country doctor.

That's why I went into medicine.

I used to tag along with him when he made house calls.

The way people looked at my dad, such love.

And he loved them.

Loved his work.

Loved healing.

I take it they don't look at hospital

administrators that way.

They look at me like I'm from the IRS.

Let me ask you, doc.

What are you going to do now that you're retiring?

I'm not sure, really.

Thing is, I don't feel old.

But county policy, mandatory retirement.

Ain't that a crock?

Yeah.

Dr. Gleason, when's the last time you

had some really good cornbread?

Cornbread?

Mhm.

I'm not talking about the store-bought variety.

I'm talking about the real McCoy,

like your Aunt Clara used to make.

Now how did you know I had an Aunt Clara?

Come on, doesn't everybody?

Now how long has it been?

It's been a long time.

Well, Doc, I think it's time we did something about that.

Well, I hope there's not too many sick farmers this morning.

I've got to head out to the hospital

to see if there are any takers among Floyd's

new crop of doctors.

But I doubt it.

You never know.

And Mark, I've got to stop at the bank.

They called last night and made an appointment.

Trouble?

No.

Just a few days late with your payment and they

get their bowels in an uproar.

That's why they all live on antacid pills.

Ed, got to make this quick.

Because I have a busy schedule today.

I know I'm late, but you'll get your payment by next Wednesday.

Well, I'm sorry, doc.

But next Wednesday is too late.

What?

Some papers here for you to sign.

I can't believe you're going to do this to me.

Just because I'm a few days late?

Business is business, doc.

DR. HUDSBETH: Oh, really?

Well, let me tell you something about being late.

When your mama was carrying you, she was two weeks late.

And I never gave up on her.

I was at her place every day during those two weeks.

Just sign at the bottom.

You know, Ed, in all my years of delivering babies,

you are the only one I regret.

What is this?

What is this?

This says--

Paid in full?

PEOPLE: Surprise!

For he's a jolly good fellow, for he's

a jolly good fellow, for he's a jolly good fellow,

that nobody can deny.

Doc, doc.

There isn't a person for 50 miles

around in any direction who doesn't owe you.

And some of them even owe you their lives.

And well, everybody knows that you could have done much better

for yourself in a big city.

Or something.

And, uh, well, we figured that it

was time that you got more out of this than just baked goods.

So we--

Doc, what this poor, unfortunate,

tongue-tied soul is trying to say, is that we love you.

Yeah.

And this is just a tangible way

of saying those three words.

We love you, doc.

What is this thing?

It's a check, doc.

For enough money to pay off your mortgage.

So you can take it easy, doc.

You can stop working and take it easy.

Stop working?

But who's going to take care of you if I do?

Who's going to tend your bunions, or set your bones,

or deliver your babies if I quit?

I won't take this check.

I won't have it.

Doc, we only meant--

I know what you meant.

That I'm some kind of charity case,

too feeble to be of use to anyone.

So you're going to ease me into golden retirement.

When there's got to be somebody to take care of you.

There is, Will.

Will, for 50 years, every once in a while, I'd envy you.

I retire in a month.

I've been everything but a country doctor in my career.

I'd like to give it a try.

You've envied me?

Take a look around, Will.

Take a look at the faces of the people in this room.

What man wouldn't envy the kind of love

so many people have for you?

You want to lance boils on somebody's backside,

in the back room of a market, Floyd?

I must say, your friend Jonathan

made a mighty persuasive argument the other day.

How about it?

Yeah, sure.

But--

But what?

Well, you're an old duffer yourself, Floyd.

I was kind of hoping we'd get some young fellow,

or some young gal who'd stick around a while.

Before you know it, you'd be feeble-minded or dead yourself.

Tact was never your strong suit, Will.

What are you getting at?

What I'm talking at is this.

Half of this money would be enough to make my payments

for the rest of my life.

So if you'll give me just a few minutes,

I'd like to talk over something with you.

[music playing]

You all right, doc?

Of course I'm all right.

Just keep your eyes on the road.

[music playing]

Hi.

What brings you all out here?

Oh, we just wanted to talk with Cleavon.

He's out back.

Is something wrong?

Not a thing.

Afternoon, Cleavon.

Oh, hi.

What are you doing out here?

Well, Cleavon, I got some bad news for you.

They just told me down at the hospital they

can't keep you on in that job.

That's just great.

Did they say why?

Well, it has to do with some silly rule

about it interfering with your work

in med school or something.

What are you talking about?

Cleavon, it gives me great pleasure to inform you that you

have been awarded the first William F.

Hudsbeth Pre-Memorial Scholarship that will cover

the full tuition at med school.

Doc, is this a joke?

Does it sound like my sense of humor?

Full tuition?

DR. HUDSBETH: You heard right.

Cleavon.

But I mean, it just won't work.

I still have to have a job.

What are you talking about?

I'll get a job.

What about the baby?

I'll take care of the little fella.

I know a thing or two about babies.

Well, I got nothing else to do.

And if we're lucky, old Floyd will ward off feeble-mindedness

until you get out of school.

That is, if you still want to be a country doctor.

Doc, I don't know what to say.

If you don't want to feel the business end

of a hickory switch, say yes.

Yes.

Yes.

I'll get it.

You just finish that arithmetic.

- Hi. - Hi.

Come on in.

Thanks.

We're just on our way out of town.

We thought we'd stop and say goodbye.

Well, that's mighty nice of you.

Can I get you a cup of coffee?

Oh, no, thanks.

We've got to be going.

Got another job waiting for us.

Minnie asked if we could drop off this package and letter.

She said she was sorry.

She should have delivered it a long time ago.

It probably got misplaced, or something.

Oh, Minnie'd misplace her head if it wasn't stuck on.

Maggie, the letter is from your husband.

He must have mailed it before the accident.

A letter from my daddy?

See, mama, see. I told you.

Robbie, it's not--

my hands are just shaking like a leaf.

Would you read it?

[music playing]

Dear Maggie, Robbie, and baby Rachel, it's nighttime now.

It was the most beautiful sunset I've ever seen.

And I just wanted to get this letter off

before we go fishing tomorrow.

I've never seen a day end with so much peace and beauty

all around.

It made me think what a lucky guy I am to have all of you.

If I never knew another day on God's good Earth,

I could say I've had it all because of loving you, Maggie.

And because of you, sweet boy, and your baby sister.

I guess you have to get away from things sometimes

in order to see them more clearly.

I feel so at peace tonight, holding all of you

here in my heart.

And though I'm a long way away, I've never felt closer to you.

I hope you can feel me with you there now.

You be a good boy, Robbie, and take care of mom,

and your baby sister while daddy's gone.

I love you all.

PS, Robbie, I'm sending you something just

to keep my record clear about never

breaking a promise to you.

Love, daddy.

[music playing]

My daddy didn't send this before any accident.

You know what I think?

I think my daddy found a way to send something from heaven.

What do you think, Mr. Smith?

Maybe you're right, son.

Maybe you're right.

I've got to go take care of my mom now, like my dad said.

[music playing]

[theme music]