Touched by an Angel

( woman humming easygoing R&B melody )

Population: 20,000.

Boy, this place sure has grown.

How does it feel to be back, Tess...

like a sort of homecoming?

Yeah. You know, we're not supposed to have favorites,

but if I had a favourite,

it'd be that little boy...

but Timmy's probably not that little anymore.

I've never been able to get him out of my mind,

even after all these years.

Isn't it a little unusual,

being sent back to the same place?

Oh, I wasn't sent here.

You were sent here.

I'm just along for the ride.

Finally!

: Variety is the spice of life.

Evil thrives when good men do nothing.

Who said that?

A music lover.

So, my assignment...

it's just a bit of paperwork, huh?

Oh, it's a...

angel walk in, lend a helping hand,

angel walk out.

It's a "Who is that mysterious stranger?" thing.

It's a piece of cake.

1115 must be the next block...

Sunday drivers, and it's not even Sunday!

And what will you do, Tess... look for Tim?

Maybe.

Or maybe I'll just walk around and soak in some local colour...

and see the sights.

Oh, my God.

Is this the place?

I think there's going to be

a lot more than paperwork involved here.

You know, technically, this isn't your case, Tess.

Are you sure you want to get involved?

The world is full of people who don't want to get involved.

That's how trash like this can happen.

Thanks.

Who is it?

Dr. Glassberg, I'm, uh,

answering your ad in the paper...

you know, the one for volunteers?

The ad doesn't run until Friday.

Uh, yes, well, I have some friends at the newspaper,

and they said you could use some help.

Certainly looks like you could.

Hello, I'm Monica. This is my friend, Tess.

Hello, Doctor.

Joanne. I'm sorry to be so careful,

but we've had a little... excitement around here,

so, um...

you sure you want to get involved?

There you go... Nice, even strokes.

Put a little muscle in there.

It's not exactly what I had in mind, you know.

I'll, um, start on the bathroom upstairs.

You've done an awful lot of work in this place.

Yeah, but...

in a few weeks, when I'm open,

and this house is full of guests

helping themselves and each other,

it'll be worth it.

Everyone deserves to die with some dignity.

Aren't you frightened by all this?

Of course I am, but I only have two choices:

Quit or keep going,

and I'm not going to quit, so that only leaves keep going.

She's a brave woman.

Yes, she is.

Now, come on, Miss Wings, let's paint.

Hello?

Oh, this came to my house by mistake.

I'm Jerry. I live next door.

I know. I recognize your hand.

Uh, and you are, uh?

Very busy. I'll make sure that the doctor gets the package.

Oh, you're friends with the doctor, just visiting...

new in town?

Jerry, if you want to chat, grab a brush.

Oh, no, no, no, no,

I have to get home and, uh, do things, don't you know.

Well, uh, so long. See you later.

I'm sure of it.

Wow. How did you do that?

I, um, I put some muscle in it.

Who was that?

Jerry.

Oh, oh, Peeping Jerry, from next door?

That's the one,

and he's a peeping postman today.

Oh, no.

If I can't be scared away,

I'm going to be red-taped to death.

Why, what's wrong?

The City Council meeting

to approve all of this is tomorrow.

Now they've thrown some sort of zoning thing at me.

100 forms to be made out in triplicate,

or else I have to start

the whole process again next year.

Ah, paperwork.

All right, then, that motion will be carried,

and go to Committee for recommendation.

The next order of business

is the proposed hospice on South Race St.

Now, I do have a note from the clerk,

who states the permits have not all been received.

I have them.

Right here.

Ah, Ms. Glassman.

Glassberg. Dr. Glassberg.

I-I... forgive me. Dr. Glassberg.

Will the clerk please receive all the forms?

While the clerk is determining

the validity of the proposal,

we will hear from the community,

represented by Mr. Porter,

Chairman of the Citizens for a Better Guilford.

This is trouble.

Thank you, Mr. Littleton.

The Citizens for a Better Guilford

strongly urge the City Council not to authorize licensing.

Dr. Glassberg's AIDS hospice.

She proposes to open her house

to transients carrying a communicable disease,

people whose health and police records

are not known,

people whose morals are questionable,

and people whose visitors will certainly clog our streets

with their cars and God knows what other kind of congress.

All of this less than

two blocks from a junior high school

in a quiet neighbourhood.

Already our children are passing

the obscenity

and graffiti

that this building has attracted.

Where's Mommy?

I want to see my mommy.

Go in the kitchen.

Did you hear what I said? Go!

Come here. It's all right to cry.

You cry to your Tess, sweetie.

It's all right.

This hospice is a threat.

It's a threat to community health.

It's a threat to our children's safety,

not to mention the damage it'll do to property values.

Please... do not allow this to happen.

Thank you.

: I've just been informed by the City Clerk

that Dr. Glassberg's proposal

has met both the city and county requirements,

and as President of the City Council,

it is my duty to authorize this proposal.

Thank you anyway, Tim.

We'll now take a recess.

Ah, Tess, isn't that wonderful? Tess?

That's my Tim.

I'll go get the dinner started.

This is the best I've felt in months.

We're actually going to open.

I think I never really believed it.

Well, you can believe it now.

I'm going in the house now, Jerry.

We need some milk.

Oh, oh, look, you go on in.

I'll get some.

I've been so busy lately, I forgot about everything...

Food, laundry, all that living stuff...

You know, I keep seeing that grey car.

No!

Four percent of the State budget.

In other state news, authorities are still investigating

that mysterious car explosion that rocked

a Guilford neighbourhood on Monday.

That blast nearly took the life of an AIDS activist.

Andrea Gallagher reports.

Dr. Joanne Glassberg, who has a plan

to open a hospice for AIDS patients

here in Guilford...

That plan has met with strong local opposition...