Appassionata

After all, she is your mother, isn't she?

Well, I guess it's really none of my business.

You're alright, so why worry about mama?

Here, drink this, signora. It'll make you feel better.

There, you see?

Your husband will be home soon. I have to go.

See you tomorrow, signora.

What a ball breaker that dame is.

Eugenia, your mother is sick.

Yeah, I know, I hear her.

There's a bag behind the kitchen door, would you bring it?

Come on, mother, pull yourself together.

No thanks, she'll be all right now. You better go lie down.

So sorry. It's really just a case of nerves...

- One of your schoolmates? - Her name is Nicola.

- A boy's name? - Yes, I know.

Like me... My husband, you know?

He wanted a boy, too. A man-child...

Why don't you try again, you might make one.

You know how foolish men are, they only want to reproduce themselves!

Come on, mother, I still got a lot of studying to do.

Arrivederci, come again soon.

Eugenia doesn't spend enough time with boys and girls of her own age.

Finish it, will you?

- Good evening, doctor. - Good evening.

They're upstairs.

Thank you.

Oh Emilio!

Go on! Get out of the room, will you? Go on!

Calm down.

Hey, Eugenia! Don't say that I've been ill, please!

Turn off the light!

- Ciao, papa. - Ciao.

Is everything okay?

Don't pay any attention.

Eugenia!

- It's finished. - What about the questionnaire?

I'll do it later. You better go, it's late.

Let's meet before school tomorrow morning, okay?

- Hey, are you still here? - What do you do if they call on you?

- That science guy will flunk you! - Don't worry about me, ciao!

Ciao.

- Thanks. You eat it, nothing for me. - Come on, sit down.

Would you like a cooked meal?

What is it, you feel bad? L'll fix you a bowl of soup, it'll be ready in a minute.

No, no, it's better if I don't eat anything.

I have a bad taste in my mouth. Obviously too much smoking.

- What's this thing? - A belt.

I better not eat. It'll only give me heartburn, I'm sure.

- I'll be right back! - Where are you going?

Oh no...

You want me fat?

- What's this, force feeding? - Eat!

Fatten him up for the kill?

Not bad. Did you make it yourself?

You pleased?

You saving it?

- You're a classmate of Eugenia's? - Yes.

We'll be ready for you soon. I'll tell him that you're here.

- Doctor? - Yes?

The next patient is a young girl, your daughter made the appointment.

- Sorry, I forgot to tell you earlier. - All right, let her come in.

- The doctor will see you now. - Thank you.

- Good morning. - Good morning.

Sit down, please.

- I hope it's nothing serious. - It hurts back here,

especially when I touch it. Obviously a wisdom tooth.

Ah, a wisdom tooth!

Very good. Now that you have made your diagnosis of the case...

So now, with your permission,

I'll make my own.

Open your mouth. Don't be afraid.

- Hold still. Hold still. - Don't move.

I haven't even touched it!

Now...

There we are.

Open your mouth. Open it.

That's it, that's it... don't move!

If you don't stop squirming, he can't see anything!

Can't you give me an anesthetic? Why do it the hard way?

There's nothing wrong, why do you want an anesthetic?

You give me Novocain, or I'm leaving!

- Do as you please! - What does it cost you?

Give me the Novocain, please. I can't bear pain.

As a future mother you should be able to bear a little toothache.

Well, it makes you wonder how they're ever gonna survive having a child...

I suppose you've dropped them all over the place!

Be good now. Prepare the injection.

You can go back to the office, the young lady has promised to behave.

If I need you, I'll call you.

Happy?

Open your mouth.

Open it. Wider. Just relax. Don't stiffen up.

I assure you,

you'll feel absolutely nothing.

Calm down. Calm down...

Hold it... there.

Didn't hurt, did it?

In a couple of minutes, you'll be all right.

What's the matter?

Don't you feel good? I'll lower this chair.

Take a deep breath. That's it, breathe deeply.

The belt is too tight.

Hey.

Hey, hey, hey! Don't you feel better now?

You'll be all right.

What are you doing? Nicola!

Are you out of you mind?!

You don't know what you're doing!

There are people out there!

Nicola!

What are you doing?

What are you doing?

Nicola.

Open your eyes. Come on.

Nicola.

I'm sorry I insisted, but I can't stand pain of any kind.

I will need to come back, will I?

- My turn, doctor? - Yes, come in.

I've been waiting two hours.

Of course, now that I'm retired my time isn't worth much.

But today, I promised the wife to take her to the movies.

If I don't take her, I'll never hear the end of it.

Something else: A dentist waiting room really puts the fear of god in a person.

I was a chief accountant at the ministry of public works,

and I tell, our waiting rooms aren't...

???

???

???

...not a care in the world, and I bit into what was supposed to be a meatloaf,

only I hit solid bone, and then crack! The bridge collapsed.

Emilio! Emilio!

Yeah?

I leave the dogs with you.

I'm gonna walk along the river.

It makes no sense going up there, you can't even get through.

And if she was a flower?

Well, I suppose she would be a camellia.

Then it's Sandra!

Oh no, the best she'd be is a stinkweed.

If she was an animal? Remember, this is your last guess!

An animal?

A little brown deer.

- I haven't a clue who that might be. - Come on, Eugenia, it's you!

So according to you, I'm a deer?

Well done, Nicola!

To me, she always seems to be like a little brown deer...

According to me, neither of you knows what I'm really like!

Why? Which animal are you?

I don't know. I guess I'm more like... a panther.

A panther!

- My little bunny rabbit... - I bet you could eat some pie.

Mama just baked it.

It's for papa, you know that.

For us, I told him to buy little pastries.

If you want, you can have some of the pie tonight.

Might even save some of it for your friend...

Apple pie...

I baked one the first time Emilio ever came to my house.

Right before we got engaged.

He always said he married me for my apple pie!

Of course he only meant it as a joke...

It's the little things that matter to us.

So you disapprove too?!

Here.

Come on.

I made that.

Eugenia went out, I guess I better leave too.

No, no! Sit over here, we'll wait for her to come back.

I'm glad you can keep me company. Sit down.

- You know how to crochet? - Not enough to brag about it.

No? It's simple as can be, watch:

First make a loop down, then make a loop up...

Here, try it.

Tighten the thread. That's right...

That's right...

Let that go, I show you something you'll be crazy about!

Here it is!

Look how lovely it is!

Beautiful, isn't it? I was only...

20.

Come on, boy. In there! You too. Come on, get in.

Good dog!

Have you come across any reports of unusual reactions

- to Novocain or procaine? - What reactions?

We know that they don't have an effect on certain people.

If that's the case,

we have to use other local anesthetics.

- Why the sudden interest? - Oh, no reason.

Fact is, anesthetics are a double-edged sword.

One patient can be immune, and the next can suffer a respiratory arrest.

I remember a patient that went into a state of complete hysteria...

My first concert.

It was also my last.

That night I was...

...introduced to Emilio.

I'm afraid I might tear it.

I could have continued my career, yes, yes...

Well, I mean that Emilio, that poor thing, wouldn't have objected, I'm sure.

It was just that...