Willow
She left a note. Says she went to the art museum and would “be back for lunch.”
Willow
It’s almost midnight.
Todd
Geez, I thought you meant she was dead or something.
Todd
She’s been so weird since Dad passed, I wouldn’t have been surprised...
Willow
It’s her brain that’s going bad, not her mind. There’s a difference.
Todd
Still, she shouldn’t be living alone. Even if you check on her every day, that’s obviously not enough.
Todd
We could’ve tried harder to persuade her into assisted living.
Willow
I’m assisting her just fine.
Willow
Maybe if you offered to help out a little we wouldn’t be having these problems.
Todd
Not everybody can be an artist with flexible working hours. I would’ve paid for the home.
Willow
We don’t need to be arguing about this right now. We need to make sure Mom’s okay.
Todd
Did you go to the museum?
Willow
Yeah, I stopped by earlier. Checked out the Faberge egg exhibit she’s been obsessing over all month. Nothing.
Willow
Everything in the house looks normal. Which is itself a bit strange, since usually I’ll find a moldy yogurt container she forgot about...
Willow
or the phone off the hook.
Todd
I just tried calling her cell, it didn’t even ring.
Willow
Wait, her computer’s on.
Willow
I thought she forgot the password.
Willow
Her browser is open, and there are all these emails from somebody named Dr. Kirkpatrick.
Todd
Is that her dementia doctor?
Willow
If you ever went to appointments with her, you’d know it’s not.
Willow
This guy is some kind of suicide doctor. Mom’s been emailing him about applying for approval to end her life.
Willow
There’s one from this morning. It looks like they just got a signature from a second doctor.
Willow
There’s a scan of some paperwork.
Willow
This can’t be happening.
Todd
Wouldn’t she have had to ask us first? You can’t just go pull the plug on yourself and not tell your own kids.
Willow
You can if you have a terminal diagnosis, apparently.
Todd
We need to call this doctor. What’s his first name? I’ll look him up.
Willow
Call him and say what? These emails say it all. The papers are signed. They just need to pick a date.
Todd
We can sue. We can blackmail him. Tamper with the emails. I don’t care.
Willow
What we should do is look for Mom.
Todd
She’s probably on her way to some back-alley clinical facility already. We’ll never find her.
Willow
I’m getting in the car.
Todd
Where are you even going to look?
Todd
Look, I’m sorry I can’t help right now, but I’m literally texting you from the boardroom.
Todd
If there’s anything I can do from here...
Todd
I found this Dr. Kirkpatrick online. He’s licensed for end-of-life care and sits on the board of a right-to-death lobby.
Willow
This is definitely real.
Todd
Will, where are you?
Willow
I’m at my studio. She visits me here sometimes. Since it’s Sunday the building’s locked, but she has my spare key.
Todd
Okay, keep me posted.
Todd
What are we going to do if you find her?
Todd
Like, can we persuade her out of this? It’s Mom we’re talking about, after all.
Todd
If she’s decided to end her life, she might as well be in the ground already.
Willow
You barely even know her, Todd.
Willow
She’s different now. Since the brain’s been going. She’s nicer, if you can believe it. She’s always apologizing to me for no reason.
Willow
Like she’s making up for all the stupid stuff she put us through when we were kids, even though she doesn’t remember it anymore.
Todd
Mom, apologizing? I find that hard to picture.
Todd
Are you inside? Is she there?
Willow
She’s at my work bench.
Todd
I’m taking my lunch break. Let me call and talk to her.
Willow
She doesn’t want to talk to you.
Willow
I asked her about the doctor, and she just shrugged and picked up one of the eggshells I’ve been using for a mixed media piece..
Willow
and asked me, “What do you do with the insides?”
Willow
So I said, like, you pull them out with this little hook. And then, without missing a beat, she says:
Willow
“I’m donating my organs.”
Willow
She says, “It’s best if they remove them really fast, before anything starts to decay. You want to take them out when they’re still fresh.”
Willow
She knows we know.
Willow
Or she forgot she was hiding it from us.
Willow
Or she just doesn’t care anymore.
Todd
We need to stop her. She’s not mentally capable of making a decision like this.
Todd
Pick up the phone, Willow.
Willow
Mom is willing to make a deal.
Willow
She wants me to paint her coffin. Faberge egg style. All ornate and colorful.
Todd
What the heck kind of deal is that.
Willow
Faberge takes ages. Months, at the very least.
Willow
In the meantime, you can come home.
Willow
Move in with her. Assisted living, just like you wanted.
