Episode Report Card Heathen: B | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT Falling In Place
By Heathen | Season 3 | Episode 13 | Aired on 03.03.2002
Jake strolls through Booklovers and stumbles upon Eli sitting cross-legged in front of the magazine rack, his nose buried deep into an issue of something that probably has a tattooed, pierced, drug-addled, eyeliner-wearing guitarist on the cover. "How's it going?" Jake asks politely. Eli peers up at him. "Good," he replies, making no attempt to pretend he was doing something work-related and not even having the courtesy to stand up when his boss addresses him. Jake should step on him, except Eli's artful coif might pierce the skin. Jake asks Eli to help out in the kitchen, because a big food delivery just came in and they're short-handed. "I didn't know I'd be doing restaurant stuff," Eli says, not realizing how rude and ungrateful he sounds. "Well, you are," Jake replies, while he inwardly wonders what this kid doesn't understand about the concept of Me Boss, You Employee. Eli good-naturedly heads back to the kitchen, but Jake doesn't care much for what he's seen, and makes a beeline for Judy. "I know he's a good kid, and he's got a lot going on, but I need somebody who's here on planet Earth," Jake criticizes. Judy cracks that Eli has extensive shelving experience, but when Jake's expression remains grim, she somberly promises that Eli will do just fine there. Jake is skeptical, but stays silent.
In her hospital bed, Karen signs a few insurance forms Rick has brought. "Thanks for doing this," she says gratefully. Rick sits down, his constantly wet eyes threatening to flood, and expresses relief that she's feeling better, though he can't articulate why and is clearly overcome by the entire fact of her accident. "Why do I feel like everyone's tiptoeing around me?" she asks. Rick clears his throat and says, very stilted, "I want to apologize for...things. That might've happened. Before." I think he's worried she'll sink deeper into whatever depression gripped her prior to the accident. Karen regards him affectionately, sensing how jarred he is at seeing her so wounded. "Is Eli coming by to see me today?" she asks, deftly changing the subject. "Yeah," Rick says, relieved. He tells a delighted Karen that Eli took a temp job at Booklovers. Wistfully, Karen rues that she's barely seen Eli since the accident. "Can't say I blame him," she self-deprecates. Yes, you can. So what if you kicked him out? He was being a little asshole. His little asshole head was stuffed up his little asshole, and that giant ball of headless Eli was rolling around willy-nilly, knocking people down. One might say that I don't like Eli. Rick stands, leaves a copy of her forms for Karen, and squeezes her hand tenderly before taking leave of her.