Family Practice
After his mother falls off a ladder and injures her knee, Greene flies to San Diego to be with his parents. A concerned Cynthia impulsively arrives on a later flight during which the airline loses her luggage. Captain Greene drives them to the naval hospital where Greene's mother is a patient.
Due to her injury, Greene's mother is temporarily confined to a wheelchair. But Greene is more troubled by his mother's bizarre behavior, alternating with bouts of depression. Not trusting the military medical care she's receiving, he pursues a second opinion from a non-military doctor. Greene does not want to accept that his mother is exhibiting symptoms of dementia.
Greene discovers that his mother sees a non-military psychiatrist who treats her for depression. After Greene and his father argue, the older emphysemic Greene goes into respiratory distress. Greene administers mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, and the Captain becomes a patient in the naval hospital e.r.
During Captain Greene's recovery in the e.r., a military helicopter crashes, sending the crew to the hospital. Greene helps in the military e.r., while Captain Greene comforts the young helicopter pilot. Each of the Greenes admires the other's contribution in this crisis.
The cause of Mrs. Greene's dementia remains unclear. As a result of it, her observations and recollections lack tact. Her brutal honesty forces Cynthia and Greene to examine their relationship. Greene admits that it is mostly sexual, upsetting Cynthia. Realizing that she does not belong with him during this family crisis, Cynthia returns to Chicago. Greene develops a better understanding of his father, and the two men become closer. Greene's parents return to their home.
