All language subtitles for touched_by_an_angel_s09e04_the_word

What are you going to do now, Charlie?

No, that's not it.

She had severe obsessive -compulsive
disorder, deep -seated anxieties, and

the compulsive behavior or ritual, like
ordering and reordering the chess

pieces,

Helps to ease that anxiety.

That's an awful lot to handle at 17.

It's going to complicate this
assignment, you know.

Mm -hmm.

Hey, Mr.

Clark, are you leaving?

Yes. Don't worry about it. They all
quit.

It's a grab bag, isn't it? Learning
disabilities, ADD.

Autism. And some of them are just plain
mean.

But they're all God's children. And they
all need to be reached.

I think Gloria would be very helpful in
this assignment.

All right.

I'm ready.

Good. But we're going to need help from
somebody else.

Down the road.

Heavy burden.

Heavy load.

I will rise.

And I will walk with you.

I'll walk with you.

Till the sun don't even shine.

Walk with you.

Every time I tell you I'll walk with
you.

Believe me, I'll walk with you

Good

morning

I'm your new teacher I hear you have an
interesting new

assignment

Stop it!

Kobe, can you tell me what the
assignment is, please?

Yeah, yeah. Our assignment is to sit in
this messed up room and don't

contaminate the normal.

Would you stop blowing chalk dust and
just answer my question, please?

We're supposed to write a fairy tale or
a fable, something, with the moral at

the end, like slow and steady wins the
race.

We got the slow down.

Now we're working on the steady.

Thank you, Cobra.

Steven, would you put those away? You
can play with them after.

Charlie, you can play with this later,
okay?

And the correct move is night.

So I'm looking forward to getting to
know all of you and the time that we

together. Which would be for like three
days.

That's about how long the others ever
last.

Well, do the best we can and see what we
can accomplish.

All right. So I see that you've already
written an outline and those have been

approved and given back to you. So now
it's time to start writing your story.

But, Charlie,

it looks like you never turned your
outline in.

Yeah, I'm still working on it.

Yeah, but the paper is due on Friday, so
you're a bit behind.

I have to clean my hands.

She doesn't even have an idea yet.

Yes, I do.

Okay, I do.

I keep telling the teachers that I don't
write at school. I can't. I write at

home.

Home, I got a big, long story for you,
Cove.

Well, that's wonderful.

Maybe you could bring it in.

No, I can't bring it here.

It'll get dirty.

Well, perhaps I could come to your house
and take a look at it.

No, no, you can't do that.

Look at me.

You need to finish this assignment to
finish this class, and you need to

this class to graduate.

Now, I really want to help you do that.

Have you written anything?

Yes, I've written, okay? I don't know
why nobody believes me. Just call my

He'll tell you.

I would like to speak with your father.
Can you tell me how to get a hold of

him?

The panelists is inside the top drawer.

Yo!

Hello. Well... My name is Monica. I'm
Charlie's new English teacher.

You have a job here.

I'm sorry. It's just that I'm very
concerned about Charlie and I want to

her graduate.

Me too.

So what do you got?

Well, she says that she's been working
on a story at home.

Yeah, so?

So she doesn't seem comfortable about
bringing that story into school, and I

wondering if you might be able to...
Monica, if you'd been around her, you'd

know she's been doing her work.

All right?

So, you'll have to... The story's...

Well,

your father's very confident that you'll
bring the story in, and so am I.

Spanish? Armenian.

I feel sick.

Feel sick over there.

Her son, Yuri Ivanov, he forgot his
lunch. She's in

the ninth grade.

Thank you.

Now, how can I help you? I am here for
the Charlie Wells evaluation.

She's right over there.

That's all that?

Well, that's 12 years of bureaucracy.

Every year they add 50 more pages and a
new plan for therapy.

we got, Charlie?

Um, nothing really, just a electric
bill, um,

something for refinancing the house.
Nothing much, really.

I heard from your teacher today.

You writing that story?

Hmm?

I'm working on it, Dad. Good. Get it in,
because you've got to graduate.

Charlie, did you bring your story today?

Charlie, are you okay?

I can't breathe.

Go see the nurse.

Go on, she'll help you.

I can't breathe.

It must be an awful way to feel.

Let me turn on this clean air machine
and get these particles out.

No, that's not going to work.

It's just an air purifier.

It says it clears 99 % of the
impurities.

It's the 1%. That's the problem, okay?
Please just call my dad, okay? I have to

go home.

Just relax, baby. I can't. Please just
call my dad, okay? I'm going to die.

You're not going to die.

I will call him if it'll make you feel
any better.

Kobe, you've done a great job with the
opening.

Now I think you just need to start
working on it.

You Monica?

Yes, I am.

I'm Rolando Wells. I'm picking up
Charlie at the nurse's office.

But I want to work with you first.

Of course.

All right, everyone.

Use your story outline and add two new
details to your hero.

And I'll be back shortly.

The nurse is this way.

I know where the nurse is.

Charlie was complaining that she
couldn't breathe.

But you don't believe her.

I think she was very upset.

If she says she couldn't breathe, she
couldn't breathe. What she feels is

She's not one of those kids that fakes
things just to get out of her work. I

believe that Charlie very much wants to
succeed, but I believe that she needs to

be challenged in order to do that. She
succeeds every day. And considering the

fact that this school changes teachers
every few weeks, it's amazing that she

succeeds at all.

Maybe it's the school that needs to work
harder.

I want to help, Mr. Wells.

You're just like the last one and the
one before that and the one before that

one. Here today, gone tomorrow.

I know how frustrating this must be for
you. She always turns her work in,

Monica. You should check your records.

Then why won't she turn it in now?

Daddy,

let me get out of here.

What's the matter?

Dad, there's all this. They never clean
this place, do they? No.

Come on, baby, let's go.

I'll need you to sign this relief, Mr.
Wells.

Okay.

I forgot my glasses.

It acknowledges that you're taking
Charlie home.

Okay. Where do you want me to sign?
Right here?

No, that's the date.

Sign where it says parent.

Parent?

Right here.

No, I'm always forgetting those glasses.

Okay.

Did you get that, Angel Girl?

Yes.

Charlie's father can't read.

If Rolando can't read, how could he have
possibly sorted through all this and

advocated for her?

He's a very clever man, and he's learned
how to compensate.

Also, he knows his daughter really well.

But I don't think he knows about the
letter.

Two of you, huh?

Last year they sent one part -timer.

Well, we want to support Charlie as best
we can.

Maybe come in.

Yeah. Thanks.

Thank you.

Oh, I see where Charlie gets her love of
chess. I'll tell you what, I'll play

you right now for five dollars, and I
bet you I'll take your link in about ten

minutes. Well, I'm not one for wagering.

That's how I used to make my living.
Carry the set to the park, take on all

kinds of comments.

I can see where Charlie gets her visual
strength.

You know, there are some other areas,
though. I'm sick of these things.

People always poking at my daughter,
trying to tell me what's wrong with her.

Mr. Wilde.

Charlie has a good chance of graduating
from high school. That would be a

tremendous achievement for her.

It's a lot harder for her than it is for
the other kids. But she can do it.

She needs to know that she can do it.
She will. Not if she refuses to do the

work. We've covered this ground before.

She said that she's been writing at
home.

Have you seen any of it? She works all
the time. I don't stand over her

watching. Well, it would help her a
great deal if you could work with her on

writing. But in order to do that...

You have to learn to read.

I could help you.

What are you talking about?

You never learned to read, did you? You
got a lot of nerve, lady. Mr. Wells,

you're not alone.

Millions of people, adults, have faced
illiteracy and they conquer it.

It's not easy to hear the truth.

The truth is I do just fine. Yes, but
wouldn't it be better if you could read

her report card or later on that you
could read her diploma?

I've accomplished a lot in my life.

Yes, sir, you have, but what if you
could read a newspaper?

I got a TV. Okay, then you open a book
and you discover Treasure Island or

Copperfield. I could see the movie.

Then how do you pay your taxes? How do
you pay a parking ticket?

I know numbers. I use them all the time
at work.

Okay, Mr. Ross.

I'll see you when you're ready.

I can see you thinking about me all the
time.

Just great.

We'll see you folks later.

Charlie, can you come here?

Try this new view.

Sometimes the change of scenery can be a
great inspiration to us.

Nice, isn't it?

Yeah. Nice for me.

Get her out of my kitchen.

I'm cooking.

Colby, close your mouth, open your mind,
keep writing your story.

Don't let him get to you. He just acts
tough because he knows he's not.

I know.

That's the sort of careful observation
that makes a very good writer.

Can you tell me something of the
characters in your fable?

How would you describe them?

I don't know.

Who's the hero of your story?

Okay. I guess the king, right?

And is there a queen?

No. No, no. She left a long time ago.

She was... Off on her own adventure.

No. No, she just left.

She left a baby.

Oh, they had a baby.

Yeah, a girl.

And, well, she wakes up one morning and
Queen's gone.

She doesn't really know why.

But one day a letter comes in the mail.

A letter? What did it say?

Well, it's not really addressed to the
girl. It's for the king.

Um. You see, the girl, she's at the
pond.

And, um, the pond's pinned.

You know what that is?

You tell me.

Okay, um, the pond is threatened.

Okay, she's threatened like, like, let's
say a bishop.

Okay? And she can't really move.

Because if she does, then... King's in
check, right?

She can't move.

Can't leave, can't do anything.

She's just stuck.

You know, stuck, right? Where she is,
and... Well, that's called being pinned.

That's called a metaphor.

Or... You know, if it's... If it's F5...
then the bishop

can trap, you know, by moving, moving to
be... I

can't breathe.

I can't breathe right now. I can't.

I'm not getting any air. I can't
breathe.

Please, I'm not. I can't. I'm not
getting any air. I can't. I can't

I can't breathe right now.

One step at a time, baby.

The air is good here, isn't it?

I don't know. I can't tell.

I can't breathe. I can't sleep. I can
never sleep.

I can't do anything.

And you keep wondering, why is this
happening to me, don't you, baby?

You see the other children in the hall,
and they're smiling and laughing.

But in your mind, it's like a train full
of worries running through.

You know, when I walk out of that class,
every time I can hear those kids.

Oh, special needs. She must be stupid.

I'm not stupid.

I'm not.

I know you're not stupid.

But I think I need better medication.

But a psychiatrist has already
prescribed medication. Some guy from

services. But if my dad calls him, then
I can get better medication. And if I

have better medicine, then I'll feel
better.

And that's it. That's it. I'll just have
my dad call him.

Well, now, right medication can make a
world of difference.

But medication alone is not the answer.

There is no magic pill to solve all your
problems.

I don't know how much I wish there was.

I'm picking up a prescription for
Charlie Wells.

Trying out a new medication here.

Charlie's Pharmacy, this is Chris.

Just find right there.

Over here? Yeah.

I'm going to leave it here.

I can't do this.

Daddy, I can't breathe.

Okay, baby, this new medicine is going
to help. It's so dirty.

Daddy, everything's dirty. It's coming
right down.

Let's see.

I can't breathe.

Baby, can you eat these?

How many are you supposed to take?

Daddy, everything's dirty. Why is it
nothing's clean?

Four. Take four of these.

There you go. Come on. Come on.

Calm down.

Take four.

Two.

All right, calm down.

Baby, better get to bed.

Charlie?

Charlie?

Charlie?

Charlie? Oh.

Charlie! Hello,

Charlie. Mr. Wells.

What are you doing here?

We miss Charlie at school.

We like to keep track of our children.
How are you doing, baby?

Better. Good. You're going to be up and
around in no time.

We brought you some flowers and some
magazines.

And a composition book, just in case you
felt like writing down some of those

ideas you had for your story. I thought
they were so wonderful.

She had the problem right there. All the
pressure you people put on her. That's

what triggers these things.

Mr. Wells, you don't seem to... Excuse
me?

Charlie Wells?

That's her.

I'm her father. Who are you?

I'm Gloria, from L .A. County Social
Services.

Social Services?

Did you call them?

Hospitals are required to report all
overdoses involving minors.

Overdoses? She doesn't do drugs.

The diagnosis is an overdose. I spoke
with the prescribing psychiatrist this

morning. Charlie started a new
medication, correct?

Yeah, it just didn't agree with her.

And she began the course of Xanamine
last night?

I guess that's what they call it.

And how many pills did she take?

The box, the label, it said four pills.

I think it reads one tablet every four
hours.

Morning, everyone.

Can you take your seats quickly, please?
We have a lot to get through today.

Hey, teach, where's the obsessive
Charlie disorder?

Charlie's sick, Colby.

Like always.

She's in the county hospital.

The hospital?

What happened?

Everybody, take your seats quickly.

You're going to be fine.

Copey? Copey!

Everyone, stay back.

Another one.

Copey?

There's no class in here for a while, so
you can stay and rest if you need to.

I don't need no rest.

I'm fine.

It happens all the time.

Doesn't make it any easier.

Hey, everybody in here's got something.

I'm epileptic.

Charlie's got OCD.

Gordo's just playing stupid.

Stuff happens in life. You just got to
learn to live with it.

You get up off the floor and you keep on
cruising.

You do that very well.

I wish you could teach that to Charlie.

Do I get extra credit for it?

I'm okay, you know, Dad.

God help me.

I nearly killed you.

Not on purpose.

You misread the directions, Dad. It
happened. I didn't read them at all.

I think you know that.

Yeah.

Thought I could take care of things
without that.

You did.

Daddy, you do.

No, I don't.

I blew it big time.

I don't deserve to be your father.

Don't say that.

Please, Daddy, I'd be lost without you.

That makes two of us.

Get so worried when you get upset.

Your mama, she always knew what to say.

But I just freeze.

I remember her always yelling about how
dirty I was and cleaning me all the time

and checking the oven over and over and
over again.

She was always so afraid of leaving that
thing on.

She was terrified of leaving the gas on
and hurting you.

She checked those dials every five
minutes.

She had it too, didn't she?

OCD.

She had problems.

She was young.

Young when she had you. Young when she
left.

Lots of things she lacked.

But she understood you.

She always knew what to say when you
were worried.

Then why'd she leave?

I guess she had enough of me.

You mean she had enough of me?

No. Not you.

Not you.

Daddy.

A letter came for us in the mail.

And I put it in my top drawer at home.

And it's from her.

And I can read it to you if you want me
to.

I'm going to go get a cup of coffee.

Okay?

That's what I love about hospitals.

The free show.

Kobe.

What are you doing here?

I brought you something.

Yeah?

I drew it myself.

Thank you.

So what's going on at school?

Everything's cool.

I had one of my patented Kobe shakes
today, and Monica got all freaked out.

I thought it was no big thing, you know,
that you were the one that needs some

serious help.

Yeah, right.

Kobe, what do you think about, you know,
when you're having one of those things?

Nothing. I don't even know what's
happening until it's over.

It's like traveling at the speed of
light.

You get back before you hardly even
left.

So, does it hurt?

It's just my pride.

And that only hurts.

Here, you stay on the floor.

I gotta get back to school.

They lost without me. Yeah.

Yeah, you should go.

Bye. Bye.

When I started out as an angel, I saw
everything in black and white, and it

a lot harder when you start to see the
gray.

Well, well.

Our little angel is learning something.

But the protocol for intervening on a
client's behalf in a custodial way is...

is very clear. It is in black and white.

In terms of Charlie?

Yes.

And the regulations say...

That Charlie must be placed in foster
care pending further investigation.

Oh, no.

I know. I feel awful. But the rule is
clear. Her current situation places her

a dangerous environment.

She's not always responsible for her own
actions. And she's clearly under the

care of someone incapable of handling
her medication properly.

Well, you saw what happened.

Yeah. But how can we make progress with
a father and a daughter if they're

separated? There'll be a hearing.

And they'll listen to both sides.

But I had no choice.

It's in the book. I had to send in a
recommendation.

You've already sent it in?

She told you there was no choice.

Then I need to go and see Rolando right
away and explain to him that it's

temporary and that there will be a
hearing.

Is it possible that he got the report
that fast? Oh, in cases like this, they

hand deliver.

You did what you had to do, baby, even
though it was hard.

And what we have to do now is trust the
Father and pray that it was the right

thing to do.

Daddy, they said I could go home later
today.

Great. Oh, I finished my story. You want
to hear it? Sure, baby. But first, the

messenger came to the house with some
social services. Said it was important.

Guess I don't have to say I lost my
glasses.

Why? Incapable of administering
medication.

Dad just says they're going to take me
away from you. What are we going to do?

I don't know.

I'll offer to speak to the board on
their behalf. I'll explain that it's not

cut and dried as it may appear on the
surface.

Do you think that'll help? I think it's
a great idea.

And I'm sure that Rolando and Charlie
will appreciate all the assistance you

give them.

Where'd they go?

Dad, where are we going?

To try my sister's house in Detroit.

We can stay there until we can figure
out what we're going to do next.

What does that sign say?

National Forest.

Good. Then we'll take the back roads.

Dad, there's no water here. What if my
hands get dirty? How am I going to clean

them? Don't worry about it. It's
impossible for me not to worry about it.

Okay, okay.

Then worry about it.

We better stop for some gas.

I'll buy some water.

Then what?

We'll keep driving.

Look, what if Aunt Rita won't help us?
She will. What if she won't? Charlie! If

she won't, then we'll keep driving until
I find some place safe for us.

Home is safe.

We can't go home. If we go home, the
social services is going to pick you up,

right? Isn't that what the letter said,
didn't it?

Yeah.

I guess.

Oh, my God.

I didn't see it.

Monica, what are you doing? Are you
crazy?

I'm here to stop you from running away.

Like hell you will.

Nobody's going to take my daughter away
from me. I don't care what the law says.

I don't care what any rule says.

Do you care what God says?

God? You mean like God up in heaven?
God?

I mean God right here, right now.

Who has been waiting for you and who
sent me here to tell you so.

You're crazy.

I'm an angel, Rolando.

Dad, what's going on? Charlie, get back
in the car. No.

I am an angel.

Believe it.

Don't be afraid, Charlie.

How did

you do that?

You're in God's care.

There's no safer place to be.

Having sense here?

To deliver a message to you, Rolando.

It's a very special message.

It can only be read and God wants you to
read it.

You're playing with me.

This is a joke.

No.

It's a miracle.

Is this what God wants?

To humiliate me in front of my daughter?

Oh, no.

God wants to share a miracle with you in
front of your daughter.

These are her words.

This is her story.

Look.

Oh, my God.

My God.

What did you say?

Please.

Once upon a time,

There was a king who lived in a
chessboard kingdom.

He was big and strong and proud and
loved by everyone,

but especially by a little one named
Charles.

Charlie moved forward one step at a
time.

She didn't jump like a knight or swoop
like a bishop.

She was slow, but she knew that if she
stayed right next to the king, they

make it together.

Thank you for this miracle.

Thank you for the miracle named Charlie.

God loves you both so much.

But he's given you this chance to see
what you're missing.

You can learn to read, Rolando, if you
want to.

You just have to set your pride aside
and sit down, start one letter at a

I'll try.

Will you teach me?

Charlie could do that.

She may feel like a very small pawn, but
she has the heart of a queen.

And you're so smart, Johnny, you are.

You're smart enough to graduate from
high school and you're smart enough to

to college.

Wouldn't that be something?

It won't always be easy.

But you could do just about anything if
you set your mind to it.

Something like a wonderful teacher.

I'd be your first student.

What if they take me away?

They're not going to take you away.

There will be a hearing.

Questions will be asked and statements
will be made. But God will

speak to the hearts of those who will
judge you.

And they will see in you what God
already sees in you.

A man...

Who has learned how to read because he
loved his daughter more than his own

pride.

A man who would do anything for his
little girl.

Anything?

In the beginning was the word, Rolando.

Now it's time for you to begin.

So the right thing to do was the hardest
thing to do.

It usually is.

And it gets easier with practice, like
riding a bike.

Or learning to read.

Dad, are you ready?

As I'd love to be.

Okay.

Okay, so I thought that we would start
with something that I really want to

read. Okay.

Is this okay?

Okay.

Okay.

You see that letter?

That's a D.

D. It says, Dear Rolando and Charlie.

D for dear.

Yes. I got that guy. Good. Go on. Okay.

Hello, it's me, Roxanne.

I don't know how to start.

Rolando, how are you?

Charlie, how's my little baby?

Not so little anymore, I guess.

Rolando, I've been taking a new medicine
and I'm feeling so much better.

I'm writing you now because I'm hoping
you can forgive me.

I'm hoping that we can talk.

Don't be afraid.

It's your time.