[SPEAKER_00]: You are listening to kicking the bucket a fiction podcast.
[SPEAKER_00]: This is not a true story, but it might feel like one.
[SPEAKER_00]: Blending drama and comedy, truth and absurdity, this immersive audio journey invites you to find your favorite chair for a cup of something warm and settle in.
[SPEAKER_00]: Because here, the end is just the beginning.
[SPEAKER_00]: And now, as a reminder, this final act is choose your own ending.
[SPEAKER_00]: If you want Dolores and Howard to go out on their terms, needing no permission, making no apologies, keep listening.
[SPEAKER_00]: This is episode eight a, rounded with a sleet.
[SPEAKER_00]: But if you're hoping Dolores and Harold will find a way to share their truth, to open up, speak their hearts, and invite their children to understand and support them.
[SPEAKER_00]: Insert tape A, side B, or go to episode eight B, Brave New World.
[SPEAKER_06]: Live, I'll keep these past nice and clear.
[SPEAKER_06]: Makes it easy for the wheelchair.
[SPEAKER_06]: Right, mom?
[SPEAKER_05]: The gardens are beautiful today, aren't they Dolores?
[SPEAKER_05]: Hey, thank you here, any of us.
[SPEAKER_05]: You're reaching her Tika on some level.
[SPEAKER_05]: I'm sure of it.
[SPEAKER_05]: Oh, good girl festy.
[SPEAKER_06]: You're like your new dog collard, don't you?
[SPEAKER_06]: And probably shouldn't stay out too long.
[SPEAKER_06]: It is fitting if you today.
[SPEAKER_05]: Yeah.
[SPEAKER_05]: Dolores feels okay right now, but we don't want her to get chilled.
[SPEAKER_05]: Howard is doing well, Dolores.
[SPEAKER_06]: He has very little pain.
[SPEAKER_06]: They have a non-strong pain killers.
[SPEAKER_06]: They're making him as comfortable as possible.
[SPEAKER_05]: Although last time we were here, he asked us to flush his food down the toilets.
[SPEAKER_06]: I think he's ready to go.
[SPEAKER_06]: Oops, mom, your hand fell.
[SPEAKER_06]: Let's put it back in your lap.
[SPEAKER_06]: Bestie, are you giving her kisses?
[SPEAKER_06]: She doesn't like kisses, remember?
[SPEAKER_06]: Ew, stop looking!
[SPEAKER_06]: I hate licks.
[SPEAKER_06]: You such a girl.
[SPEAKER_06]: She can't pet you, but on some level she's since your head right there in her lap.
[SPEAKER_06]: I'm sure of it.
[SPEAKER_06]: Good girl.
[SPEAKER_01]: Good morning to me.
[SPEAKER_01]: Good morning, Carpella.
[SPEAKER_01]: And how are you today, Mr. Laura?
[SPEAKER_01]: Today is your two-month anniversary, isn't it?
[SPEAKER_01]: It is.
[SPEAKER_01]: Mom and how have you been here for two months?
[SPEAKER_01]: Well, we love having you in life, hope living.
[SPEAKER_01]: I'm sorry about the other day to me.
[SPEAKER_01]: What happened the other day?
[SPEAKER_01]: I told Mr. Loris that she was lucky to have a daughter like Tamika who comes to visit her all the time.
[SPEAKER_06]: And Mom looked right at me and said, well, she's somebody's daughter but not mine.
[SPEAKER_01]: Our attention is always on the patient, but you need to take care of yourself too.
[SPEAKER_01]: I'm glad you have each other.
[SPEAKER_01]: You three have a wonderful morning.
[SPEAKER_01]: I'll see you later, Mr. Lawrence.
[SPEAKER_06]: Tika, I know.
[SPEAKER_06]: She never wanted to be like this.
[SPEAKER_06]: Come here.
[SPEAKER_07]: You know, uh, it's just like we talked about.
[SPEAKER_07]: Yeah, I like this is like... This is how it's gonna be.
[SPEAKER_07]: You know, I know.
[SPEAKER_07]: You know, you're being so strong.
[SPEAKER_06]: Okay, okay.
[UNKNOWN]: Yeah.
[SPEAKER_06]: Are you sure?
[UNKNOWN]: Yeah.
[SPEAKER_06]: I'm okay.
[SPEAKER_06]: Let's just finish our walk.
[SPEAKER_06]: Okay.
[SPEAKER_07]: Well, wait.
[SPEAKER_07]: Where's Festy?
[SPEAKER_07]: Festy?
[SPEAKER_04]: Where'd she go?
[SPEAKER_04]: Here, Festie!
[SPEAKER_04]: Festie, where are you?
[SPEAKER_04]: Festie!
[SPEAKER_01]: Evening with Dolores, time to get ready for bed.
[SPEAKER_01]: I've got your sleeping medicine right here, and I'll get your bed set up so we can get you tucked in.
[SPEAKER_01]: I know how much you love Shakespeare since you are Shakespeare professor.
[SPEAKER_01]: Well, guess what?
[SPEAKER_01]: My niece was cast in a Shakespeare play.
[SPEAKER_01]: She will not stop saying her lines.
[SPEAKER_01]: I think it's called the tempest.
[SPEAKER_01]: We are such stuff as dreams of made-on.
[SPEAKER_01]: We are such stuff.
[SPEAKER_01]: Those dreams are made-on over and over.
[SPEAKER_01]: Does it make much sense to me?
[SPEAKER_01]: Now, I'm never icing the lights.
[SPEAKER_01]: There.
[SPEAKER_01]: Your bed is ready.
[SPEAKER_01]: Let's get to your medicine.
[SPEAKER_01]: Or... Or such.
[SPEAKER_11]: What's that, Mr. Or?
[SPEAKER_11]: We are... Such as...
[SPEAKER_11]: as dreams are made on.
[SPEAKER_11]: Mr. Lorsley are such stuff as dreams are made on and our little life is routed with a sleep.
[SPEAKER_01]: Are you reciting Shakespeare?
[SPEAKER_11]: Sir.
[SPEAKER_11]: Sir, I am vexed.
[SPEAKER_11]: Bear with eyewitness, my reign is troubled.
[SPEAKER_11]: Be not disturbed with my infirmity.
[SPEAKER_11]: If you be pleased, retire into my cell and their repose.
[SPEAKER_11]: A turn or two out walk, to still my beating mind.
[SPEAKER_01]: Wonderful.
[SPEAKER_01]: Do you remember any more?
[SPEAKER_11]: Where am I?
[SPEAKER_01]: You are at live opening.
[SPEAKER_01]: You need some extra attention now, and we're helping you.
[SPEAKER_11]: I am supposed to do something.
[SPEAKER_01]: Yes, you're supposed to be getting ready for bed.
[SPEAKER_01]: You want to try taking these pills yourself tonight?
[SPEAKER_01]: I get your water.
[SPEAKER_11]: I am supposed to do something with these pills.
[SPEAKER_11]: What am I supposed to do with these pills?
[SPEAKER_01]: Save them.
[SPEAKER_01]: Here's your water, Mr. Loris.
[SPEAKER_01]: There you go.
[SPEAKER_01]: What's that in your pocket, Mr. Morris?
[SPEAKER_11]: My pocket?
[SPEAKER_11]: A note?
[SPEAKER_01]: Oh.
[SPEAKER_01]: It is one of your notes.
[SPEAKER_01]: You have these notes all over.
[SPEAKER_01]: What does this one say?
[SPEAKER_01]: The ones.
[SPEAKER_01]: What does that mean?
[SPEAKER_01]: Howard.
[SPEAKER_01]: He's still with this, Mr. Morris.
[SPEAKER_01]: He's in the nursing care unit.
[SPEAKER_01]: He's on hospice care now.
[SPEAKER_01]: See him?
[SPEAKER_01]: Yes, of course.
[SPEAKER_01]: We'll take you over first thing tomorrow.
[SPEAKER_01]: He's really close by.
[SPEAKER_01]: Just across the lobby.
[SPEAKER_01]: How about you get a good night's sleep, and we'll take you over in the morning, okay?
[SPEAKER_01]: Firstly, let's get your dressing gown off and get you into bed.
[SPEAKER_01]: Come on, you can do it.
[SPEAKER_01]: You can recite Shakespeare.
[SPEAKER_01]: We won't be doing it too.
[SPEAKER_01]: Let's write one arm.
[SPEAKER_01]: And then the other arm.
[SPEAKER_01]: Okay.
[SPEAKER_01]: And then we're gonna get up.
[SPEAKER_01]: Yes.
[SPEAKER_01]: You need to go to sleep.
[SPEAKER_01]: Careful.
[SPEAKER_01]: Down.
[SPEAKER_01]: There we go.
[SPEAKER_01]: One leg.
[SPEAKER_01]: Then the other leg.
[SPEAKER_01]: The medicine will start working very soon.
[SPEAKER_01]: So lay down, relax.
[SPEAKER_01]: Good night, Mr. Morris.
[SPEAKER_01]: Are you good?
[SPEAKER_01]: Is everything alright?
[SPEAKER_01]: Sleep well.
[SPEAKER_01]: I'm a little life is rounded with a sleeve.
[SPEAKER_01]: I can't believe you remembered that.
[SPEAKER_11]: It's Howard.
[SPEAKER_11]: I have to do something with Howard.
[SPEAKER_11]: I need light.
[SPEAKER_11]: Somebody's sticky notes, huh?
[SPEAKER_11]: Your name is Dolores.
[SPEAKER_11]: Well, I knew that.
[SPEAKER_11]: Okay, where?
[SPEAKER_11]: Where's she put my dress again?
[SPEAKER_11]: Uh-huh.
[SPEAKER_11]: Photos?
[SPEAKER_11]: They're all label, it's Tamika.
[SPEAKER_11]: My beautiful Tamika, and what does this say?
[SPEAKER_11]: Gabri L. Gabriella, yes.
[SPEAKER_11]: Tamika and her Gabriella, yes.
[SPEAKER_11]: Jared and Sonia, and Howard.
[SPEAKER_11]: The note.
[SPEAKER_11]: Why so many notes?
[SPEAKER_11]: Howard is in room one oh seven Howard is in room one oh seven I better hold on to this one there's another one in here oh yes the woods
[SPEAKER_11]: What about the woods?
[SPEAKER_11]: The woods, the woods, the woods, the woods, the woods, the woods, the... Take me out into the woods.
[SPEAKER_11]: I've got to get Howard from room one-on-seven and take him out to the woods.
[SPEAKER_11]: Okay.
[SPEAKER_11]: I can do this.
[SPEAKER_11]: As King Henry, the fifth would say, once more into the breach, dear friends, once more.
[SPEAKER_01]: Okay, even if it's not that close.
[SPEAKER_11]: Okay, across the lobby, nursing home unit, room one o seven.
[SPEAKER_11]: Across the lobby, nursing home unit, room one o seven.
[SPEAKER_11]: Across the lobby, nursing home unit.
[SPEAKER_11]: Room one, oh seven.
[SPEAKER_11]: the lobby, nursing care unit.
[SPEAKER_11]: It's over there.
[SPEAKER_11]: It wrote one, all of them.
[SPEAKER_11]: Okay.
[SPEAKER_11]: They didn't see me.
[SPEAKER_11]: Okay, okay.
[SPEAKER_11]: How are you, everyone, seven?
[SPEAKER_11]: I just have to open the door and walk in to rule one of seven.
[SPEAKER_02]: No no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no
[SPEAKER_11]: Excellent.
[SPEAKER_11]: I hope good luck lies in odd numbers.
[SPEAKER_11]: Merry wives.
[SPEAKER_11]: Remotos in it.
[SPEAKER_11]: No.
[SPEAKER_11]: Wait.
[SPEAKER_11]: I need one of those wheelchairs.
[SPEAKER_11]: What is this?
[SPEAKER_11]: What a one, what a three, one.
[SPEAKER_11]: Oh five.
[SPEAKER_11]: Here.
[SPEAKER_11]: What a seven.
[SPEAKER_11]: So dark.
[UNKNOWN]: Howard.
[SPEAKER_09]: Howard.
[SPEAKER_09]: Oh, D. You're here.
[SPEAKER_11]: Yes.
[SPEAKER_11]: Howard, we're breaking out.
[SPEAKER_11]: Oh.
[SPEAKER_11]: Let me get this wheelchair lined up.
[SPEAKER_11]: Okay.
[SPEAKER_11]: Oh, shoot.
[SPEAKER_11]: these cables I don't know what I don't know what to do with all of these cables I don't know what to do with all of these cables I don't know what to do with all of these cables I don't know what to do with all of these cables I don't know what to do with all of these cables I don't know what to do with all of these cables I don't know what to do with all of these cables
[SPEAKER_11]: Let me help you.
[SPEAKER_02]: Hey, it's the pizza here.
[SPEAKER_02]: Oh, no.
[SPEAKER_02]: No, my dog.
[SPEAKER_02]: No, my dog is back on Tuesdays for therapy.
[SPEAKER_02]: Really?
[SPEAKER_02]: A stray?
[SPEAKER_02]: There's a stray up front?
[SPEAKER_02]: Okay, I gotta see this, but I have to be quick.
[SPEAKER_11]: There's an exit door down here.
[SPEAKER_11]: What?
[SPEAKER_11]: What is it?
[SPEAKER_09]: You have to push the red button on the wall first.
[SPEAKER_11]: I'm sorry.
[SPEAKER_11]: Howard?
[SPEAKER_11]: I'm having trouble seeing it.
[SPEAKER_11]: Lining it up, I can't.
[SPEAKER_09]: We're here.
[SPEAKER_09]: I can't get in.
[SPEAKER_09]: Let's go.
[SPEAKER_09]: Go?
[SPEAKER_09]: Stay with me.
[SPEAKER_09]: I need you to lean against the bar.
[SPEAKER_09]: Okay.
[SPEAKER_09]: What's that?
[SPEAKER_09]: How are you?
[SPEAKER_09]: D. We have to go to the woods.
[SPEAKER_11]: Yes.
[SPEAKER_11]: To the woods.
[SPEAKER_09]: Or get a parking lot.
[SPEAKER_09]: And then the sidewalk.
[SPEAKER_09]: And then the woods.
[SPEAKER_10]: Who would leave their car running?
[SPEAKER_09]: And with the doors open, what are people feeding?
[SPEAKER_09]: Oh, oh, it's that herb or each driver over there.
[SPEAKER_09]: Much want to make a quick drop off.
[SPEAKER_09]: Anyone could stay with.
[SPEAKER_09]: Is that the end of the car quick?
[SPEAKER_09]: Let me drive.
[SPEAKER_11]: But it's dark your eyes.
[SPEAKER_09]: You don't be fine.
[SPEAKER_09]: Let's go.
[SPEAKER_09]: Okay.
[SPEAKER_09]: Just leave the wheelchair, get in.
[SPEAKER_11]: It is.
[SPEAKER_11]: Well, run festie.
[SPEAKER_11]: Oh, girl.
[SPEAKER_11]: Come on.
[SPEAKER_11]: You hit the wheelchair.
[SPEAKER_11]: Oh!
[SPEAKER_11]: Curm!
[SPEAKER_11]: What way?
[SPEAKER_08]: Where to, dear?
[SPEAKER_09]: They're after us.
[SPEAKER_11]: Hold on, D. Where are we?
[SPEAKER_09]: We're on Caesar's Chavez.
[SPEAKER_11]: Oh my god, it's so loud.
[SPEAKER_09]: They're trying to block me.
[SPEAKER_09]: I'm turning left.
[SPEAKER_09]: Hold on.
[SPEAKER_11]: Oh, that's the wrong side of the road.
[SPEAKER_09]: I know.
[SPEAKER_09]: It's the Congress Avenue Bridge.
[SPEAKER_09]: Oh, no.
[SPEAKER_09]: If we could just get to the other side.
[SPEAKER_09]: Stop.
[SPEAKER_11]: Howard, stop.
[SPEAKER_11]: They're coming from the other direction too.
[SPEAKER_09]: You're going to hit them.
[SPEAKER_09]: Oh, oh, oh.
[SPEAKER_09]: Well, it was a good try, dee.
[SPEAKER_09]: My hands are up.
[SPEAKER_09]: I'm unarmed.
[SPEAKER_09]: I've got all these against everything.
[SPEAKER_11]: I've got you.
[SPEAKER_11]: Just like it looks someone nice.
[SPEAKER_11]: The course of true love never did runs through.
[SPEAKER_11]: You always hated that one.
[SPEAKER_11]: Hey, there's a strong word.
[SPEAKER_11]: I found this in my pocket.
[SPEAKER_11]: What, pills?
[SPEAKER_11]: My sleeping pills.
[SPEAKER_11]: I've been saving up.
[SPEAKER_11]: I didn't come back our stomach.
[SPEAKER_11]: Not if they can't find us any time.
[SPEAKER_11]: You mean job?
[SPEAKER_09]: Yes.
[SPEAKER_09]: Okay.
[SPEAKER_11]: Pills first.
[SPEAKER_09]: Give me a hand.
[SPEAKER_04]: Wait, what are you doing?
[SPEAKER_09]: Tying us together, so we won't be separated.
[SPEAKER_11]: Together.
[SPEAKER_11]: Three, two, one.
[SPEAKER_11]: Go.
[SPEAKER_03]: Oh, my God.
[SPEAKER_03]: Can we pull the big spotlight, please?
[SPEAKER_03]: The big spotlight in the back, in the trunk.
[SPEAKER_08]: All right.
[SPEAKER_00]: You have been listening to kicking the bucket a fiction podcast.
[SPEAKER_00]: For more information about hosting your own podcast listening club, sign up for our mailing list at improvadarts.org slash kicking the bucket podcast.
[SPEAKER_00]: That's IMPROVEDARTS.org.
[SPEAKER_00]: Ford slash kicking the bucket podcast.
[SPEAKER_00]: Do you have a similar story to Dolores and Howard's?
[SPEAKER_00]: Are you a caregiver with personal experience?
[SPEAKER_00]: We'd love to hear from you.
[SPEAKER_00]: Keep the conversation going in the comment section via email or on our social platforms.
[SPEAKER_00]: We hope you enjoy the experience.
[SPEAKER_00]: If you'd like to help others discover this podcast, please leave us a review and remember to like, subscribe, and share.
[SPEAKER_00]: Follow us on Facebook and Instagram at kicking the bucket podcast and watch our live stream conversations on our YouTube channel at kicking the bucket podcast.
[SPEAKER_00]: This podcast was recorded with a full cast, Mimi Strom and Richard Gardner as Dolores in Howard.
[SPEAKER_00]: Also featuring Kendra L. Franklin, Michael Treho, Kelly Bland, Keato McCarty, Ivy Lee, Dana Wing Low, Vivian Glasier, Cynthia Preston, Henshankandi.
[SPEAKER_00]: Written produced and directed by Andi Kinsey,
[SPEAKER_00]: produced and casting by Dana Wing Low.
[SPEAKER_00]: Dialogue editing, sound design, mixing, and mastering of Arisa Ewing and Melissa Ponds of Hemlock Creek Productions.
[SPEAKER_00]: Marketing Manager Kiyota McCarty.
[SPEAKER_00]: podcast club producer, Chloe Carcamo, and studio recordings captured at North Shore Media Productions in Austin, Texas.
[SPEAKER_00]: Sound engineer, Kevin Chin.
[SPEAKER_00]: Thank you for listening to kicking the bucket.
[SPEAKER_00]: If you or someone you know is experiencing thoughts of self-harmor suicide, help us available.
[SPEAKER_00]: In the United States, coal or text, nine, eight, eight for the suicide and crisis lifeline.
[SPEAKER_00]: For International Support, visit findahhelpline.com to connect with free crisis services in your country.
[SPEAKER_03]: This project is supported in part by the City of Austin Economic Development Department.
[SPEAKER_03]: Improved Arts is a sponsored project of Austin Creative Alliance.