Episode 17, Season 5
Title: Save Me

Written by: Linda Gase
Directed by: Allan Arkush
Original Air Date: April 2, 2006


Description:   (full synopsis)

A schizophrenic living in a halfway house becomes the prime suspect when the murder of a teenage girl occurs in the neighborhood. Woody and Lu disagree on how to handle the case. causing some strain between them. Jordan decides to become a foster parent to Kayla, but Macy questions her ability to be a mother. Jordan is frustrated by the lack of support she receives from her friends.

Guest Stars:

Tay Blessey (Kayla Dawson), Michael Warren (Liberty House Manager), Norma Maldonado (Carolyn Macelli), Zilah Mendoza (Lori Dawson), Bill Applebaum (Nate Preven), Dale Midkiff (Jerry Miller), Russell Sams (Eric Miller) 

Random Facts:

Goofs:

Music:

Aimee Mann - Save Me

Quotes:

Garret: Where the hell is Jordan?
Lily: Since when has is my job to keep track of the staff?

Garret: Jordan as Mom.  Who thought that'd be a good idea?

Woody: Why do you put the schizos with normal people?
Caretaker: Where would you suggest they go?

Caretaker: Try to to use words like schizo.  We prefer people with schizophrenia.

Woody: How about homicidal people with schizophrenia.

Lu: Nate stay still or you're going to get hurt.  Nate I'm Lu.  Nobody wants anything bad to happen to you.  We just need to talk to you.
Nate: They told me.
Lu: Told you what?
Nate: About you.  That'd you'd come.
Lu: Who's they?
Woody: The guy's Nuts Lu. (Lu gives Woody a look)

Lily: Oh Garret's on the warpath.
Jordan: So what else is new?  Hey do you have any idea how hard it is to live with a teenage girl?

Social Worker: Look they've raised a total of 17 kids.  They have five now.
Jordan: Five.  So Kayla will make number six.
Social Worker: Seven.  They have custody of their grandson.
Jordan: How old are these people?
Social worker: In their sixties.
Jordan: In their sixties and they want to raise seven kids?
Social Worker: Uhuh.
Jordan: How much money are they getting?
Social Worker: $550 per child per month.  They're good people Dr. Cavanaugh.
Jordan: How can they possibly give the attention she deserves.
Social Worker: It's the best I can do.  Unless you want to keep her.
Jordan: I can barely keep a house plant alive much less play full time mom to a teenage girl.
Social Worker: Groughers it is.

Garret: What's today's excuse?
Jordan: Same as yesterdays.

Garret: Why are you doing this Jordan?
Jordan: Because it's my job.
Garret: No I'm talking about playing at being a mother. What do you know about it?
Jordan: As much as you did before you became a father.
Garret: Huh...Two parent family, baby not a teenager, full time mother at home.
Jordan: Yeah, glad to see there were no rough spots along the way for you.  You know if I was such a bad candidate for motherhood, why would social services ask me to become a Foster Parent.
Garret: Well you said no right?
Jordan: Yeah. (pause) Why'd you say it like that?
Garret: Like what?
Jordan: Like it was a ridiculous idea beyond human comprehension.
Garret: Okay you find slugs get Nigel to run ballistics. (walks out of room)

Nigel: Oh finally made it in hey.
Bug: What late again?
Nigel: Jordan taking care of a child. Boy...
Lily: It's just until they find Kayla a Foster home.
Bug: Well they better hurry because Jordan's idea of a home cook meal is reheating takeout.
Lily: I had dinner at Jordan's once.
Bug: What takeout?
Lily: No chili.
Nigel: In a can?
Lily: Yeah, she was going to put cheese on it.
Bug: The cheese was moldy?
Lily: (guilty laugh) And the lettuce for the salad...
Nigel: Like all brown and wilted.
Lily: Way beyond that.  It was unidentifiable.
Bug: Well I hope the kid likes reheated take out.
Jordan: The kid eats fine.  But I'll be glad to take any advice you might have seeing you're such experienced parents.  (to Nigel) I need you to run some ballistics for me...when you're finished having fun.

Nate: She couldn't breath.
Woody: That's what happens when you stab someone eight times.
Lu: Detective!

Woody: How's it help to stick a knife in somebody?
Lu: Detective! (opens door to shove Woody outside the room)

Lu: So you want to blow the case?
Woody: Just trying to get a nut job off the streets.
Lu: Then play by the rules.  We don't even know it was him.  People like Nate are more often the victims not the victimizers.
Woody: Alright you know what (pushes Lu against the wall) You can tell me to stop snoring, you can tell me to pick up my underwear, you can tell me to change my tie, but don't tell me how to do my job.

Jordan: You'll have two grownups who know how to do this.
Kayla: You were doing okay.
Jordan: Thanks.

Jordan: (comes back into the room) I changed my mind.  I want her back.

Garret: You know I love you Jordan, but this is a terrible idea.
Jordan: I didn't ask you how you feel Garret.
Garret: You want me to tell a social worker you'd make a good foster parent, you're going to have to listen to my opinions.
Jordan: Kayla has no one Garret.  I'm it.
Garret: Well lots of kids have no one.  Are you going to take them all in?
Jordan: What the Hell kind of argument is that? I can't solve homelessness either, but at least I can give five bucks to the guy in an alley way.
Garret: You don't know the first thing about raising children much less a teenager.  Do you have any idea how difficult they can be?
Jordan: Well I know that they're moody and snarky and hormonal and over the last two weeks the things I have seen...
Garret: Oh, two weeks and you know it all huh?
Jordan: No.  But I know she needs me.  I know I can do this.
Garret: You're obsessing.  You're a work-a-holic.  You have no idea what you are getting into.
Jordan: Did you?  Did you walk away when you figured out how hard it was to be a father?  Oh...guess you did.
Garret: You are not temperamentally suited to motherhood.
Jordan: Oh is that what you're going to tell the social worker?  Wow.  After all the crap you put me through this year I was ALWAYS there for you.  Glad to see you've got my back.

Bug: But we did find semen.
Lu: but she wasn't raped.
Bug: It was co-mingled with the blood on her floor in the bedroom.
Lu: So you mean the killer...
Nigel: Gave the old one gun salute.  Played a little five on one (look from Lu to Bug), boxed the clown.
Bug: Okay, she gets it.

Nigel: Okay it's going to take a while though.  Separating blood from semen's like pulling molars from a possum.
Lu: They have the most teeth of any North American mammal.
Nigel: I like her.

Lu: Well if I can't interrogate our suspect I'll get a warrant for his DNA. (walks out of lab)
Nigel: She wants me.  She's crazy for me.

Woody: Hey sorry that I snapped at you earlier.  I just get a little...
Lu: It's a flaw.  I know....in an otherwise perfect self.

Woody: What's up?
Jordan: I need someone to write me a letter of recommendation.
Woody: For what?
Jordan: To become a foster parent.
Woody: Okay, that's big.
Jordan: yeah really big.
Woody: But...uhh...I'm not really sure that I'm your best choice.
Jordan: Oh you too?  You think I'm some kind of freak who couldn't possibly in a million years have something to offer a child?
Woody: It's...it's not that at all.  It's just that I have black marks on my file and it probably doesn't help that I went off the deep end last year... (Jordan's phone rings)

Lu: hey Nate.  I'm Detective Simmons.  Do you remember?  Lu?  How are you feeling.  Sometimes it takes awhile for the meds to stabilize.
Nate: I hate the meds.  I can't play my guitar.
Lu: Nate, I need to take a DNA sample.  It doesn't hurt.  It's just rubbing a swab on the inside of your cheek.
Nate: Why?
Lu: We found some DNA at the crime scene we'd like to compare it to.  It that okay?
Nate: No.
Lu: We have to do this Nate.  I have a warrant.
Nate: Go away.
Woody: She's trying to be nice.  This isn't something we need your consent for.  Hey (grabs Nate) Open your mouth or I'll open it for you. (look from Lu)

Jordan: If you came her to talk me out of it you can save your breath.
Lily: No.  I just want to make sure that you've thought this through.
Jordan: Yes I have.  I thought I could make a difference in Kayla's life.  Thought my friends would be supportive.
Lily: Jordan we are.
Jordan: Well you have a funny way of showing it.  (pause) You don't think I've got some doubts about this?  What if Garret's right?  What if I'm not temperamentally suited.
Lily: Well you are the only person in Kayla's life that knows what she's going through.
Jordan: You mean about her Dad.
Lily: She talk about him?
Jordan: No.  I tried a couple times but she's not ready.
Lily: Well when she is ready she'll be lucky to have you.

Jordan: My job that keeps her clothed and fed?
Social Worker: The second problem is that attitude.

Bug: Jordan.  A foster parent?
Nigel: Like she's officially the girl's mother now?
Lily: She's trying to be.  That's why she got mad at us.
Nigel: That's a horrible idea.
Lily: She could be a great mother.  You never know.
Nigel: Well look at the evidence and make a pretty good guess.
Lily: How many times has she jumped in to get Macy off your back. (hits Bug on the arm...he's laughing) How many times has she covered for you so you could go do something else.  Are we her friends or aren't we.

Nigel: Confessions of a Broken Heart, Lindsay Lohan.
Bug: That's not music.

Social Worker: I see that Dr. Cavanaugh worked her several years ago and then abruptly left without giving notice.  Why?
Garret: You'll have to ask her that.
Social Worker: I will.  What's your answer?
Garret: I don't have one.

Garret: Can it wait guys?
Nigel: I'm Nigel Townsend.
Bug: Dr. Vijay.  We met.
Nigel: We'd like to put our two cents worth in.

Bug: About Dr. Cavanaugh.
Nigel: She really cares about this girl.
Bug: Which means she'll move Heaven and Earth to do right by her.
Nigel: Cause when Jordan's on your side, she really absolutely completely...
Bug: On your side.
Social Worker: Do you have any specifics on how this is going to work for Kayla?
Bug: Well...umm...we haven't really spent anytime with the girl so um...
Nigel: But we know Jordan...
Social Worker: It's nice to see Dr. Cavanaugh has so many friends here.  My concern is Kayla.

Nigel: DNA will take a couple more minutes.  Anybody want some coffee?
Lu: Half caf, not fat cappuccino please.
Nigel: Coming right up.
Lu: (to Woody) I was kidding.

Kayla: Oh I know how to do this stuff.  I used to do it all the time for my Dad.
Jordan: Oh.
Kayla: My Dad was kind of...not neat.  And I know that um...he got mixed up in some bad stuff.  But we did okay.  Me and him.  He was a good Dad.  I miss him.
Jordan: I know.  (gives Kayla a hug)

Woody: The cds we found in your room.  Do you know who gave them to her?
Nate: Someone with bad taste in music.

Jordan: No I'll get a lawyer.  I'll fight it.
Garret: You've known the girl for a few weeks.  No court is going to side with you against her mother.
Jordan: Her drug addict mother.
Garret: Is that what you want Kayla to her.  Your lawyer ripping her apart, make her a monster in Kayla's eyes.  So even if you do get custody you're the one who shredded her mom.
Jordan: Look she wants to stay with me.
Garret: While her mother's alive how long do you think that'll last?  Tomorrow or next week or next year she's going to want to know her mom. What are you going to do then?
Jordan: Well if that's what she wants I'm not going to stand in her way.
Garret: Isn't that what you're doing now?
Jordan: No she doesn't want to go.
Garret: She's a child.
Jordan: Who's has to raise herself.  Who's had to be a grownup her whole life.  She deserves to be taken care of now.
Garret: Who says her mother can't do that?
Jordan: It was just starting to go well Garret.  She was just opening up to me.
Garret: Okay then you did good.
Jordan: I'm not a quitter.
Garret: This isn't about quitting Jordan.  It's about letting go.

Kayla: You don't want me.  You're relieved.  Aren't you.  Now you can go back to living your life the way it was.
Jordan: No.  Kayla, NO.  You're my life now.  Your mom's moving back here so you can stay in the same school and have the same friends.  And I hope to be one of them.  Okay.

Woody: I have no problem admitting I was wrong.  The schzio did not do it.
Lu: You could have just as easily said the Guitarist did not do it or the musician did not do it...
Woody: Or the nut job...
Lu: Alright enough.  You're just trying to get a rise out of me.
Woody:  Sorry Detective Simmons or should I say Doctor or ma'am or honey cakes.
Lu: You know if anyone's crazy around here it's you.

Nigel: Good news, bad news.  Or I suppose you could call it bad news, bad news depending on how you look at it.
Woody: Well take any news.

Nigel:...you know just to be thorough.  I'm always thorough.
Lu: Did it match?

Woody: I see what you mean.  Schzio sounds so bad when he says it.

Nate: It'll never be enough.  I'll never be like I used to.
Lu: Just because you aren't that person anymore doesn't mean that you have to have a crappy life.

Woody: (enters) Hey.  I heard you were going to be here another couple days and I thought you might want this (hands him guitar).
Nate: Demons in my head write the music.  No demons, no music.
Woody: I'm sorry Nate that you have such a rotten choice.  And I'm sorry that I was such a jerk.
Nate: Yeah you were.
Lu: The music is there. (touches Nate's heart)  It's there.

Woody: I brought you this.
Jordan: What is it?
Woody: The Letter you asked me to write.  The character reference.
Jordan: Thanks, but I don't really need this any more.
Woody: yeah, I heard. I'm very sorry about that.
Jordan: It wasn't meant to be.
Woody: Read it anyway.
Jordan:  Thanks.  I needed this.
Woody: You're going to make a great mom Jordan whenever it's meant to be.

 

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