Previous storyline: Grace became unsettled by a visit from her parents; Julia ended her relationship with Sam after she discovered his racial prejudice; and Bailey made a spectacle of himself at Owen's birthday party with his drunken behavior. Now, his siblings are ready to confront him about his problem.
Scene 1: Bailey's apartment.
Bailey is rummaging through the refrigerator.
Bailey: Oh man. So much for the four basic food groups. Hey, is this still good? (sniffs milk) Euuww God. You gotta smell this.
Callie: Pass.
Bailey: When was the last time...don't you ever go to the market anymore?
Callie: Sorry. Did I, like, become your mother when I wasn't looking? (phone rings)
Bailey: Who the hell calls at this hour?
Callie: It's noon. (answers phone) Hello. Yeah, hey, Julia. Yeah he's...(Bailey motions that he doesn't want to answer the phone) He's right here.
Bailey: Hey. What's up. Really? Callie, were there messages from my sister? (Callie gives him a look) I'm sorry, Jul. I'm just...kinda busy for a couple of days. What? Oh hey, I don't think that's such a good...tonight? No, I don't think...no, I know. I know it's a thing we do. Okay, Jul. You can stop selling. Okay. Okay. I said okay, I'll come. Seven, right. Okay, I'll see you. (hangs up) Family dinner.
Scene 2: Salinger's restaurant.
Sarah, Grace and Claudia are sitting at a booth.
Sarah: He's going to know it's not a family dinner. I mean, the second he walks in and sees me he's going to know. I don't have to start it, do I?
Grace: What do you mean?
Sarah: Well, I don't have to be the one to say, 'Bailey, I think you have a serious drinking problem.' I mean, Charlie's going to say that part, right?
Grace: But, you just being here says you think that.
Sarah: Yeah, I know. I know you're right. I mean, what difference does it make what order we go in. God, my palms are all sweaty.
Claudia: I don't understand why we have to do it like this. I mean, all of us yelling at him. And accusing him of stuff...
Grace: That's how an intervention works, Claudia.
Claudia: But it's five against one. I mean, he's going to feel totally ganged up on.
Grace: Maybe. But maybe that's what's going to make him see he's got a problem.
Claudia: He's going to be so mad at us.
Sarah: Yeah, he is.
Julia (sitting at bar with Charlie): Since when is Grace's specialty substance abuse?
Charlie: She sees a lot of alcoholism at the center.
Julia: Oh. Then I guess that makes her, like, some kind of expert, huh.
Charlie: Hey. I'm just glad to have someone here who's got some experience with this kind of thing. Aren't you? (someone enters) Okay, this is it. (all of them stand up)
Customer: Are you open?
Charlie: No, sorry. We're closed for a private party. I was about to hang the sign.
Customer: No problem. (all of them sit back down, dejected)
Julia (on phone): Bai? Are you there? You're not there. And, you're not here and so we were just wondering if you forgot about dinner. Anyway, we were just going to order dessert and uh, well, you're probably on your way over. So we'll see you soon.
Grace: (hours later) Should we go home?
Charlie: Yeah. Let's go home.
Scene 3: Salinger bathroom.
Charlie: Well, what choice did we have? I've left dozens of messages for him and he never calls back. I mean, we can't just go over to his place to confront him...I mean...
Grace: I know that.
Charlie: Julia tried to do that last week and he kicked her out! And he's not about to stop by here, because...
Grace: I know, Charlie.
Charlie: Then why was the restaurant a bad idea?
Grace: I just think it was wrong to assume a family dinner would be the kind of thing that would lure him in.
Charlie: You think he knew we were planning something?
Grace: (as they exit the bathroom) After what he did at Owen's party? C'mon, Charlie. He knows he's in hot water with you guys. He knows dinner conversation isn't going to be 'pass the salt.' So he's not going to show up voluntarily. So what you've got to do, I think, is figure out some way...
Julia: (who has heard all of their conversation) Monday night quarterbacking, huh. So I'm curious. Why did we sit there for two and a half hours tonight if you thought it was a stupid idea?
Grace: I'm not saying that it couldn't have worked, Julia. I was just trying to figure out a reason why it didn't.
Julia: So in your expert opinion, what do you think we do now.
Charlie: C'mon, Julia.
Julia: No, I mean it. Since you barely know Bailey at all maybe you have a certain objectivity about the situation that we don't have.
Grace: Family dinners he can say no to. He can say, 'Gee I forgot'...he could say he got stuck in traffic. You gotta come up with something else. Something he can't say no to.
Scene 4: Salinger kitchen.
Claudia: No. Uh uh. No way.
Charlie: Claud.
Claudia: No. Forget it. That's a terrible thing to do.
Julia: Yeah, it is. It is. But how else, Claud. How else can you get him here?
Claudia: I don't know. But that? No, no. You can't tell him that. I mean, you can't have him get in his car and drive all the way over here thinking that. (to Sarah) You don't think this is, like, the cruelest thing you could do to a person? I mean, you're actually okay with this?
Sarah: I know it'll get him here, Claud. So yeah, I am.
Claudia: Well, I don't care. I won't. I don't care, and you know, if you think it is such a great idea, you call.
Julia: It won't make any sense coming from Sarah. Or me, or Charlie.
Charlie: It's you, Claud. If you call him and say that you need his help, that you don't know what to do, then he'll believe you. And he'll come.
Julia: He's in trouble, Claudia. I mean, aren't you willing to do whatever it takes to help him? I am. (Claudia looks torn; starts dialing)
Claudia: (crying hysterically on phone) Bai! Bai, um, it's Owen. He...I wasn't looking and he...he fell down the stairs and he hit his head...hard. I don't know...I don't know if he's breathing...but he's not moving, Bailey. And I don't know what to do! You gotta...you gotta...okay. Okay, but hurry. (hangs up) (to Charlie) Shame on you.
Scene 5: Salinger living room.
Bailey is running through the house, looking for Owen.
Bailey: Claudia! Claud! Claudia!
Claudia: Bailey.
Bailey: Where's Owen? (Callie runs into house)
Claudia: What's she doing here?
Bailey: She drove me here...who cares! What...is he okay? Is he unconscious? Claud, where is he?
Julia: He's up in his room.
Bailey: Jul.
Julia: I just got home. Gimme the keys to your car.
Bailey: What?
Julia: My engine isn't turning over, or something. And if we're gonna take him to the hospital...
Callie: Here. (hands her keys) But you've gotta watch the clutch, though, because it kind of sticks, all right?
Bailey: (runs upstairs and looks into each room) Owen? Owen? Owen? Owen? O? Where is he? (comes back down and sees all his siblings staring at him) What? What's going on?
Charlie: We have to talk to you.
Bailey: What. God, is it Owen?
Julia: Owen is okay. He's at Ross's.
Bailey: What?
Callie: What's going on here?
Julia: We told you the story about Owen, uh, just to get you here. Because we have to talk to you because we're worried, Bailey.
Bailey: What? You gotta be...
Julia: About your drinking.
Bailey: My drinking! You mean, Owen...I can't believe...(shouting) I can't believe you! I was like having a stroke here! How the hell could you...God, Claudia!
Claudia: (crying) I'm sorry...
Charlie: Just calm down now, okay?
Bailey: Calm down?
Charlie: Look Bai, you've got a problem. That much is pretty clear. So, so we're just going to get you someplace where you can get the kind of help that you need. Some kind of rehab or something.
Bailey: The hell you are. You know what, you know what...up yours, Charlie. You guys are screwed. God. You...I'm out of here.
Charlie: No you're not.
Bailey: Gimme the keys.
Julia: No.
Bailey: I said gimme the keys!
Julia: No.
Bailey: God! Let me out of here, Charlie.
Charlie: No way.
Bailey (screaming): Let me the hell out of here!
Scene 6: Salinger living room.
Charlie: You are not going anywhere, Bai!
Bailey: The hell I'm not.
Julia: Just calm down.
Bailey: The hell with all of you. (goes outside and sees Sarah sitting on bench) Sarah. So, you too, huh?
Sarah: Yeah, me too.
Bailey: What is this...is this like your way of getting back at me for Callie? Is that what this is?
Sarah: You really think this is about revenge?
Bailey: It sure as hell feels like it to me.
Sarah: I'm not trying to get back at you, Bailey. I'm here because...because I've seen how you drink. How much you drink and what it does to you.
Bailey: Uh huh. So you think I'm an alcoholic.
Sarah: I think you have a problem, Bailey.
Bailey: (raising his voice) You think that I'm an alcoholic. Why don't you just say it? That's what you came here to say, isn't it?
Sarah: I think you're an alcoholic.
Bailey: Well...well I think you're full of crap. I think you're all full of crap. And if you think I'm gonna hang around here and listen to you all tell me what a lush you think I am, as delightful as that sounds...it's been real.
Sarah: If we're all wrong then why are you running away? See, you leave now, and all that does is say to us, Bailey's got a problem and he's too afraid to deal with it. So, so okay. So I'm wrong. So we're all full of crap. So set us straight, Bailey. Explain it. You know, make us see it from your side. (pauses) Stay.
Scene 7: Salinger hallway.
Charlie: Look, the point is not how we got him here, okay. The point is what's going on with him.
Callie: Oh right. Like you know all about it, huh. Like you even have a clue as to what goes on in his life. You know, because I don't remember seeing any of you over at the apartment. Just spending time...making sure everything's okay. You know what. I don't even think we've ever even met. Isn't that funny.
Julia: Look, he pulled away from us, okay, when he started drinking. We didn't know what was going on.
Callie: Okay. Whatever.
Claudia: We're trying to help him.
Callie: What, by lying to him? By tricking him? You've got to be kidding me. You think you're going to help him? He's never going to talk to any of you again.
Claudia: Don't say that.
Charlie: Look. You've seen him drink. You had to have seen him drink. So if you'll just stay here and tell him that, then maybe...
Callie: Okay. You know what, just give me my keys.
Julia: Please, Callie.
Callie: You want me to call the police? (Bailey enters with Sarah)
Bailey: Callie? Hey. Where you...
Callie: Look, I'm sorry, okay. This is not my thing, all right. This is like, way out of control. Anyways, it's a family thing. So uh, I'm sorry. (leaves)
Charlie: She bailed on you, man.
Bailey: No, that's not...she knows that I don't have a problem. So she's not about to hang around here with you guys and take shots at me. Why should she.
Julia: Maybe she's in denial too.
Bailey: Hey. I'm not in...look, I'm here, aren't I? I'm still here. I'm not running away. I know what this is about. It's about Owen's birthday party. And, and if you want to go taking that...that one time when I had a little too much to drink and turn it into some huge deal...
Julia: It's not just one time, Bailey.
Bailey: One or two times, whatever! Look. I'm not saying that I don't drink some, okay. I do. And occasionally, very occasionally, I have too much. But that doesn't mean that I am doing anything different than any other college kid who's living away from home! It doesn't mean that I have a problem. Or that I can't stop. And it sure as hell doesn't mean that I need you guys acting all concerned over nothing! And carting me off to some rehab center...
Charlie: It's not nothing, Bai. You're always drunk!
Bailey: What are you talking about? I'm not drunk right now. I haven't had anything to drink since...since Owen's birthday party. What is that...that's three days. Three days. What does that tell you.
Julia: Honestly? That you're broke.
Bailey: God. Do you really think that little of me? Claudia?
Claudia: It's like you're someone else, Bai.
Bailey: Right. Right. Well maybe I am. Maybe that's the problem. That I'm on my own for the first time. I'm taking care of myself, and nobody likes that because that's not the way that things work around here. I'm supposed to be the one taking care of all of you, right? Right?
Charlie: Bailey, that's not true.
Bailey: No?
Charlie: No!
Bailey: (crying) I bailed you out, Charlie. I gave up going to a real college to save your ass. And now that I'm stuck in some little state school trying to make the best of it, you're trying to tear me down.
Claudia: Bailey, that's...
Bailey: As long as I'm the one making the sacrifices, you're all okay. Because that's what you expect. I'm the one that always comes through for you, right. Who picks up all the pieces and...and cleans up your mess. That's who I am, right. That's who I've always been. And I can't ever, ever, do anything that I want to do. I can't ever have anything that's just mine.
Grace: What, like your drinking?
Bailey: Like, a life! A life that isn't about putting myself last. I just...I want...I want to have fun. I want to not worry about stuff all the time. And I want to be able to take some chances with my life...without you telling me there's something wrong with me! Why can't...why can't I have that? Why...why won't you let me have that? It's not so much to ask for. God. It's so little. (leaves room in tears)
Sarah: Shouldn't we go in there?
Julia: And say what? Claud?
Claudia: (crying) We shouldn't have done it this way. He doesn't...he shouldn't feel like he doesn't have anybody on his side. Can't we stop? Please. Can't we just stop?
Charlie: I don't know, Claud.
Sarah: He's not going to listen to anything we have to say.
Julia: He's not ready.
Grace: How do you know? He was the one doing all the talking.
Julia: He didn't give us a chance.
Grace: Of course not. Why would he? He knows what you're going to say. And he doesn't want to hear it. You gotta...you gotta make him listen. You've got to strip away all those excuses of his. You gotta...
Julia: Look. It's hard, okay?
Charlie: Julia.
Julia: No. It's so easy to sit on the outside and say 'You gotta this' and 'You gotta that' when he's not your brother. You don't know him, Grace. You don't love him.
Grace: Look. I'm sorry. I know it's hard. But that's why you're here, isn't it? I mean, isn't it?
Charlie: Yes. (they all go into the kitchen)
Bailey: (still crying) Would you all leave, please...
Charlie: No. No, you're going to hear this, Bai. And no one's going anywhere until we're finished so we might as well just get started.
Julia: And it's not about being angry at you or begrudging you of some kind of happiness at school, or anything. But you drink, Bailey. You drink all the time.
Bailey: Owen's party, right? I already explained that to you and I apologize. I had a few drinks, yeah.
Charlie: Hey, it was way worse than that! You were out of control, Bailey. You were stinking drunk! And that whole thing with the cake...you scared the hell out of Owen. You scared me.
Bailey: I had...I had some stuff going on that day. It was...it was a bad day, you know? All of a sudden, I'm the only one who's not allowed to have a bad day!
Sarah: What about at the coffee house with Will, Bailey? You were drunk, and loud, and making a scene with the waiters...bumping into things. You were the same way when I met you at the club.
Bailey: At a club. Right. What is the big deal with that? You go to a club, and you drink. Is that some sort of crime?
Sarah: Will said you were drunk every minute he was with you. And all you wanted to do was drink.
Bailey: Right. Like he actually told you that.
Sarah: Yeah, he did. He came to see me because he was worried about you.
Bailey: Well, Will is a liar.
Sarah: He is not a liar.
Julia: This isn't going to work, Bailey. Not anymore. We've all been through this with you too many times. This, 'So you're catching me on a bad day or bad week' excuse. Or 'Yeah, sure, I'm drinking when I see you, but all the other times I'm completely sober' excuse!
Charlie: Yeah. We've compared stories, Bai.
Bailey: I don't believe this. I really don't believe this. What, you've got like four examples of me drinking too much. Like that proves anything! What is this, is this some kind of sport? Ganging up on me like this? Anyone else have anything? What about you, Claudia? You have something you want to add? (Claudia shakes her head) No, go on. It's your turn. Go on!
Claudia: No!
Julia: You need more? Fine, okay. Sam gave you a job and you stole from him.
Bailey: What? Are you calling me a thief in front of everybody?
Julia: (crying) You are a thief, Bailey. You're a thief, and a liar, and a drunk. And I want you to get better. I want to help you, because I love you.
Bailey: Uh huh.
Julia: I do.
Bailey: No. No. This is...this is...makes you feel good, right?
Julia: Bailey.
Bailey: And it's like, who the hell are you? Like your life is so great. Like your life is anything. At least I'm in school. At least I'm not the one who's dropping out. Man, how's that for irony? Or, you know what. Maybe...maybe that's the whole point. That you're jealous of me for once. Because it turns out that you can't even come close to doing what I'm doing. Turns out you're the one who can't hack it!
Julia: C'mon, Bailey!
Bailey: No. Forget it. Forget it. You're the one who I feel sorry for. What are you going to do, take a year off so you can get pregnant again? (Julia looks stunned; starts crying)
Charlie: That's enough, Bailey.
Bailey: Yeah? Says who? You can all dish it out but you can't take it, huh?
Charlie: (shouting) I said that's enough! God, you...
Bailey: What. What, now you want to give me a lecture on screwing up? Talking about hearing it from the master! I got a better idea, Charlie. How about we talk about you instead. Actually...actually, you know what. I bet some of this would be educational for Grace.
Charlie: Bailey.
Grace: I don't want to hear it.
Bailey: Sure you do. Of course you do. I mean, how much do you actually know about Charlie's sexual history?
Charlie: Stop it, Bailey.
Bailey: Has he cheated on you yet? Give it time. He will. He's cheated on every other girl he's been with...why not you? He cheated on Kirsten at least once that we know of.
Grace: Look, this doesn't...
Bailey: How many women has it been in all, Charlie? Fifty? Sixty?
Charlie: I swear to God...
Bailey: How about the one you slept with after the wedding? You know. The one you slept with two days after you dumped Kirsten, the love of your life!
Charlie: Stop it!
Bailey: Claudia told me about that one.
Claudia: Bailey!
Charlie: (screaming) Just shut the hell up, Bailey!
Sarah: God, Bailey. What are you doing.
Bailey: Nothing. Just cards on the table time. You don't like it, leave. Actually, I don't know why you're here in the first place.
Sarah: Bailey.
Bailey: No. It's not like anything you say matters to me. It's not like you belong here. It's like, take a hint! I don't love you! I don't. And, to be like completely honest here, I don't think I was ever in love with you.
Sarah: Don't do this, Bailey.
Bailey: I mean, if I loved you, why would I cheat on you? Why would I still be with Callie? Huh? Why would I be in bed with you, and be so...so turned off...
Sarah: (crying) That's enough.
Bailey: ...that I couldn't do anything?
Sarah: Bailey, that's enough. You can stop now.
Bailey: Right. (looks at Claudia)
Claudia: What. (Bailey leaves room)
Scene 8: Salinger kitchen.
Grace: What's he doing?
Charlie: Nothing. Staring out the window. Grace...
Grace: Someone should talk to him again.
Charlie: Grace, listen. There were other women.
Grace: You don't have to do this.
Charlie: And I don't know. I'm not sure if that says something really bad about me. Maybe it does. But...
Grace: Charlie.
Charlie: ...that's not who I am now. I mean, I'm not the same guy, I'm telling you...
Grace: Charlie, this is not the time.
Charlie: I know. You don't have to tell me that, I know. I would have told you, Grace. Maybe not everything, I don't know. But it's not like I was trying to hide it from you. And all that stuff about Kirsten after the wedding...it's not like he made it sound.
Grace: Right. And it's over now, and you're a different person. So I'm fine. You don't owe me an explanation.
Charlie: Then why are you standing all the way across the room?
Scene 9: Julia's room.
Sarah: I don't know why I'm here. Why am I doing this to myself. Why do I keep doing this to myself?
Julia: C'mon. You love him.
Sarah: I'm not gonna stay. I'm gonna go.
Julia: Sarah. Look. They're just words he's using. I know they hurt. But they're just words.
Sarah: That's not...I mean, he says horrible, horrible things to you. But that doesn't change anything because you're his sister. You know, you can hate him and you're still his sister. But if I hate him? You know, if he says those things to me and I hate him...then why am I still here? You know, I end up being this...this pathetic person who's waiting around to see some...some glimmer of the way he used to be with me, and it hasn't been that way in so long...and I'm done. Done.
Julia: Sarah, you can't. You can't. Because if you leave, and we all have to walk in there and face him again and he sees that you're gone he's going to think, I am winning. He's going to think, I am right and they are wrong and they don't have the guts to face up to me. And then we're...and then it's over.
Sarah: I'm sorry. I tried.
Julia: That is not good enough! Sarah, if you leave, that is so much worse than if you had never come here to begin with.
Scene 10: Salinger living room.
Claudia: Bailey. (Bailey turns around; on phone)
Bailey: Callie. Pick up the phone. C'mon, pick up the stupid phone. Okay, listen. As soon as you get this message, you get over here, and you get me. Don't call first. Just come get me the hell out of this place. We're finished here. (hangs up, looks at Claudia) What. (doorbell rings) Maybe that's her.
Joe: Oh, I'm so sorry, sweetie. The plane circled for over an hour...I had to drop Frannie off at my place...
Bailey: Joe. I don't believe this. You called Joe?
Charlie: Yeah. We did. I did.
Julia: We're right in the middle of it.
Bailey: More like the end.
Joe: Well, your brother thought that maybe I could help, Bailey.
Bailey: How? How? What the hell does he know, huh? He's not even around, for godsakes! What...did you come all this way to tell me I drank too much champagne at your damn wedding?
Julia: It's not like that.
Joe: Look, Bailey...
Bailey: You know what, Joe. I don't want to hear it from you. And I don't want to hear any more from any of you. You got that?
Charlie: Yep. Loud and clear. We're through trying to reason with you, Bailey.
Bailey: Finally. Thank God.
Charlie: So here's what's going to happen, okay. You're checking yourself into a rehab center.
Bailey: Right.
Charlie: We're going to get in the car, right now, and I'm gonna...
Bailey: Go to hell, Charlie.
Charlie: I mean it, Bailey. This is it. This is your last chance. You're checking yourself in...
Bailey: Or what. Huh? What're you gonna do, Charlie? Send me to bed without dessert? Cut off my allowance? Just what the hell are you gonna do?
Charlie (shouting): You want me to cut you off financially, fine! It's done.
Bailey: (shouting): Fine, who cares? I don't need your money. I can go get a job. And I've already got my own place to live. All I need is for you to get the hell out of my way. I mean it, Charlie.
Charlie: No!
Bailey: Get out of my way! (Bailey starts pushing at Charlie)
Charlie: C'mon, Bai. C'mon!
Bailey: No! Son of a bitch! (Bailey tries to punch Charlie and misses; his hand goes through the glass window. Claudia screams)
Sarah: Oh my god.
Julia: Bailey!
Joe: That looks bad, Bailey.
Sarah: You...you should...
Bailey: I don't need your help. (goes to kitchen)
Scene 11: Salinger backyard.
Bailey is nursing his wound.
Joe: Bailey.
Bailey: Can't you just...leave me alone.
Joe: Bai...
Bailey: I mean it, Joe. Please!
Joe: Bailey! Please, huh?
Bailey: Look, I know...I know what you're here for. I know what you came here to say.
Joe: I don't think you do, actually.
Bailey: Sure I do. The old routine. You tell me how disappointed in me Dad would be. How much I'm letting him down. I know how the whole thing goes. So why don't you just get it over with so you can go. C'mon. If your father could see you now...
Joe: If he could see you now...
Bailey: What?
Joe: If your father could see you now he'd say...
Bailey: Here it comes.
Joe: He'd say...not my son too. He was an alcoholic, Bailey.
Bailey: Right. Sure. Sure he was.
Joe: Your father was an alcoholic.
Bailey: Bull.
Joe: Believe me. I was there.
Bailey: That's a load of...
Joe: 18 years he was sober before he died...but for years before that...years...
Bailey: No, you're just...no. No, I don't believe you.
Joe: On my life, Bailey. It's the truth.
Scene 12: Salinger backyard.
Bailey: I thought you couldn't get any lower than what they did. Lying about Owen. Saying he was hurt just to get me to come over here...but you...you son of a bitch.
Joe: C'mon, Bailey.
Bailey: What do you think, huh? You think since he's dead you can say anything you want about him?
Joe: He'd want you to know! He'd want me to tell you!
Bailey: My father was not an alcoholic!
Joe: Bailey!
Bailey: Get out of here, Joe. Get the hell out of here! (Enter Charlie and Julia) Have you heard this load of crap? Have you? Or hey. This was probably your genius idea, right? Let's get Joe to say that Dad was a drunk, then make it...
Charlie: Joe.
Julia: I don't believe it.
Bailey: You see. See?
Charlie: He didn't...I would have known.
Joe: You were just a kid when he quit, Charlie. Probably too young to recognize the signs.
Charlie: What signs?
Joe: Do you remember him coming home late from the restaurant every night?
Julia: That doesn't mean...look, he had a business to run.
Charlie: He liked hanging out with the guys late and shooting the bull.
Joe: And drinking.
Julia: No!
Joe: Honey, I was the one who had to drive him home night after night because he couldn't drive himself.
Julia (to Charlie): Did he?
Charlie: I don't know.
Joe: Don't you remember the fights he had with your mother?
Julia: Charlie?
Charlie (shouting): I don't know, okay?
Joe: It was bad for a long time. If he hadn't gotten the help when he did...
Julia: But I never saw him take a drink in my life. Not once...not even a beer or a glass of wine.
Joe: And why do you think? Not a drop, not an ounce. Nothing. He owned a restaurant. Hell, he owned a bar. Why never even a sip? Because he knew he couldn't, ever. That's what it is to be an alcoholic. He knew that...(Cut to Claudia, who is listening)
Julia: Claud. (Claudia walks away)
Joe: No, Charlie. (Joe goes after her, finds her in the basement) There you are. I've been looking for you all over.
Claudia: Don't. Please.
Joe: Claudia, I didn't see you standing there. I would have never...
Claudia: No, it's okay. I mean, it's good that I heard. I should know, right? Who he really was?
Joe: That's not who he really was. It was just a small part of him.
Claudia: It's not small. It's everything. He was an alcoholic.
Joe: Who quit drinking long before you were even born.
Claudia: But it changes everything.
Joe: How?
Claudia (crying): Because I thought I knew him.
Joe: You did, sweetie. Everything you remember about him is still true. He wasn't perfect, Claudia. You know what...had he been around these past three years you would probably know that now. He made mistakes...he had faults...but that doesn't make him any less. Makes him human.
Claudia: So what happened? What made him stop? I want to know.
Joe: Your mom said she'd leave him.
Claudia: Oh.
Scene 13: Salinger backyard.
Bailey is sitting alone when Sarah approaches him.
Sarah: I heard. And, I'm sorry. I don't even know if that's the right thing to say - 'I'm sorry.'
Bailey: There is no right thing to say.
Sarah: Yeah.
Bailey: I um, I was think about us...about you and me.
Sarah: You were?
Bailey: It's funny. Because this is, like, what we used to talk about. Remember? And, and I finally have an answer to that question that you asked me.
Sarah: I don't...
Bailey: When you were looking for your mom. And you'd say to me, I wonder what I got from her. My voice, or my dark hair. Remember? And you asked me what I got from my parents.
Sarah: Bailey...
Bailey: It's like, Claudia plays the violin, and Julia looks like her, and Charlie looks like him. And this is what I got. This is what my father gave me. (Sarah puts her head down) Why are you crying?
Sarah: Because I don't know how to help you.
Bailey: You don't have to help me. I mean, I finally think I have it figured out.
Scene 14: Salinger kitchen.
Charlie: I remember...I must have been in kindergarten or something like that...Mom used to drive to the restaurant a couple times a week because he left his car there overnight. And he'd sit in the back with me, tell jokes, make stupid songs, and Mom would be up in the front. Totally quiet. I didn't realize...
Julia: Did they fight?
Charlie: Yeah, I guess. Yeah, but only behind closed doors. Or I'd walk into something at the tail end of it and Mom's eyes would be all red. I figured, it was about the restaurant doing bad, or them not having enough money...or about how late he used to come home at night.
Julia: He'd always leave the liquor out of recipes. You know? And he never toasted good news. I mean, yeah, sort of...like pretend toasting, but never the real thing. Everything means something else now. It got better though, right? I mean, he got better. Because they got through it somehow, right? Because I remember them being happy.
Charlie: They were, Jul. They were.
Julia: You know, I don't know what else to say to him now. You? (Charlie shakes his head) Grace, do you?
Grace: I think maybe it's already been done, Julia. I think maybe this will make the difference.
Julia: You do? Really?
Grace: You can't find out something like this, this huge, and not have it, well, change you. (Enter Bailey)
Sarah: Bailey. Bailey, wait.
Bailey: Where's my coat.
Charlie: You okay?
Bailey: I'm tired. Just really tired.
Claudia. What. What's going on.
Charlie: It's okay, Claud. I, uh, haven't had time to do all the research or anything, none of us did. But I got some contacts to a couple AA groups in the area. One's at SF State, which is pretty convenient...and uh, I'm sorry, Bai. About getting you here the way we did, and about keeping you here. And if I said anything, nothing was meant to hurt you.
Julia: We didn't know what else to do. It's just, we all love you so much. And I know this is going to sound kind of hoaky, but...we really will be there for you every step of the way if you want us to, okay? We're going to take care of you, Bailey. We'd love to take care of you...(tries to hug him)
Bailey: Don't.
Julia: Bai.
Bailey: I don't need to be taken care of. And I don't need any AA contact. I mean it's okay, Charlie. I kind of feel better, actually.
Julia: You do?
Bailey: Yeah, I do. Anyway. I guess you guys were right about me. Turns out you were right. Of course you were. I mean, I'm my father's son, right? Which is...which explains a lot of things. I mean, I can finally stop looking at myself and thinking, what is going on here? What am I turning into? Who am I turning into? Because it's him. I'm turning into him. And it's not my fault. It's not my fault. It's his fault. So...so I'm gonna stop beating myself up and I'm gonna stop letting all of you guys beat up on me. Because this is just who I am, and this is what I do. I drink. (cut to disbelieving looks on everyone's faces) Anyone seen my coat?
Claudia: That's it?
Bailey: Yeah, Claud, that's it.
Claudia: (upset) No. No no no no no no no. I can't take this, Bailey. I mean, you can't do this anymore.
Bailey: Claudia...
Claudia: (crying hysterically) No, Bailey. I mean it. That's it...that's it! I mean if you don't...if you don't get help, I don't want to see you. You can't talk to me...and you can't talk to Owen...and you can't come over to the house...and I'm not going to come and see you...and I'm not going to call you...and I'm not even going to think about you.
Charlie: Claudia...
Claudia: No! I love you, Bailey. More than anyone. I love you the best. You know that. This is the only thing I have that I can take away from you...to make you stop. So either you get help right now...or get out of here. (Bailey finds his coat and leaves)
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