Caray, Caray!

Tonight, Nuria Bages is "Ofelia, Enamorada" (Ofelia, in love).

A woman stands outside a room. Inside, we see medical equipment and hear some unpleasant snorty sounds. She approaches the bed and picks up a syringe from the bedside table. She pushes the needle into an IV tube and injects it. Another, younger woman walks in, says "Dad?" and then looks surprised.

Gloria seems confident this will be as twisted and bloody as every other week, but I'm not getting that impression just yet.

The body on the stretcher leads the way out of the house. Then comes Ofelia, the older woman, in cuffs. The younger one, Ximena, is being restrained by two hunky DIEM guys as she screams that Ofelia is a murderer who killed Ximena's daddy. Aranda looks troubled and lets the doc know that the body, the suspect, and the witness are all on their way.

Flashback: A man and a woman walk in the woods. The guy is Ricardo, not yet deceased, but he's coughing. It's 11 months ago. Ofelia, not yet a murder suspect, thinks he's smoking too much, but he thinks the best way to stay healthy is to stay away from the doctor. Har, har, har. They move on to talking about Ximena. She's fighting with Roberto a lot lately. Ofelia can't understand young people today--they're together, they're not together. I'm betting she's not on Facebook. That would blow her mind. Ricardo says she asked him what the formula was for being together 20 years, like the two of them. My thoughts: a really big closet and not sharing a bathroom sink. Ok, ok, I guess things like having common interests, honesty, openness, and kindness are important too, but nothing keeps love alive like not having to look at the aftermath of the Sunday night shave. Ricardo told her that every day he asks himself if he would choose Ofelia again. "And? Would you?" I can't quite make out his answer, but something like ask me again later and I'll tell you. He laughs and then starts coughing.

Ricardo and Ofelia are getting ready for bed. They both agree they had fun at the get-together earlier. Ricardo starts coughing and grabs his side. He ends up falling on the floor.

Ricardo is in the hospital. Ofelia leaves another guy in the room with him and goes out to the hallway to talk to the doctor. The doc says that Ricardo has a tumor in his right lung, but this is all preliminary. They need to do further tests to confirm it. He repeats this when she asks if he can be cured. He says they might be able to operate. He tells her not to lose faith.

Ofelia sits in the dining room, stirring her coffee. Ricardo walks in. He touches her gently, but it still startles her. She gives him crap for being out of bed and he gripes that he's been in bed for two weeks. She reminds him he's supposed to rest. "I'll rest when I'm dead!" She brings him into the kitchen and he says it was just a joke. She chops carrots and says she'll make him a carrot and meatball soup. "Has anyone told you you look beautiful today?" "Well, no, you're the only nutjob who tells me that." He says she's beautiful. He's fighting back the coughing and it's hard for him to even be standing up. Finally, the coughing gets the better of him. She pours him a glass of water, which he has trouble getting down. She talks him into going back to bed. In the hallway, he tells her he can make it on his own, but he only gets a few steps before he has to lean on a table for support. He takes the opportunity to tell her to put salt in the meatballs. She won't, though, because the doctors said salt was bad for him. "Doctors don't know everything! And don't even think I'll go to a hospital. I want to read." He goes into his library instead of going back to bed.

Ofelia tells Ximena that cancer was the diagnosis, but she doesn't want Ricardo to know. She wants him to be able to stay home so she can be the one to fuss over him. Ximena, smoking a cigarette, says he has to be in a hospital. He can't stay home like there's nothing wrong with him. Ofelia says that he refuses to go and the doctor said he was fine at home, where he could be more relaxed and have his books. Ximena accuses Ofelia of only caring about what's convenient for her and not caring about Ricardo's health. Ofelia storms off.

Present: Capellan and Aranda discuss the case. Aranda tells Capellan that as soon as they walked in, Ofelia admitted to having killed him. And the stepdaughter confirms it. Capellan asks if they've started the autopsy.

Past: Ofelia serves Ricardo some of the meatball soup, which looks to me more like meatballs with a thick sauce. He has to get his breathing under control before he can talk to her. He asks if she remembers what his mom used to say, "Talk! It's free!" Ofelia laughs. "What would she say if she could see me now, and what it costs me to talk," Ricardo asks. Ofelia tells him with proper nutrition, they'll get him better.

The doctor tells Ofelia that a biopsy confirmed the diagnosis of cancer, but an operation isn't possible anymore. She asks the doctor if he's going to be in pain. "The cancer has metastasized. It's gone into other organs. If we're going to have any chance, the chemo will have to be very aggressive. Unfortunately, there's no other way to handle this. The cancer is aggressive and the prognosis isn't good." Without the treatment, he'll definitely die.

Ricardo is coughing up blood into the toilet. Ofelia comes running in. When he can gather enough breath, he asks her if he's sexy. "The sexiest man in the world!" she agrees. I like his sense of humor. She tries to get him to bed, but he misses another opportunity at innuendo and asks her to take him dancing instead. Ofelia puts on a cd and they dance. And kiss. And he coughs the whole time.

Ximena comes to see her dad. She brings him flowers and says his wife forgets the important details. She tells him to leave his oxygen mask on. He asks her if she had her meeting and presented her project yet. She says she did and it went well. A few revisions and they'll publish it. She asks him to review it for her. Ricardo says it's very exciting, her first novel! Ximena says she wrote it for her mom and for him. Ricardo is overcome with coughing. Ximena is asking if he's really fine, if he's taking his medicine, if he should be working. Ricardo tells her that Ofelia doesn't do anything but take care of him. He asks her when he'll see…. "Dad, she's not my mother and I…." Ofelia comes in and tells them dinner is ready.

Ofelia and Ricardo sit outside. Ofelia is sketching with some pastels. Ricardo is in a wheelchair now. He complains about his back and Ofelia rubs it for a little while. Ricardo tells her to sit down. He says his daughter can be kind of bitchy, but if the two of them could just get along…she's suffered too.

One year ago: Ximena and Ricardo are in his office. Ricardo smokes his pipe and reads. He "hmmmmm"'s. Ximena says "you don't like it." She gets up and lights a cigarette. Ricardo says he loves the story, but she added a violence that seems excessive. "Well, not everything in life is rosy, dad!" He agrees, but says not everything is black or white either, there are colors, "there are options." Ximena says she wanted some encouragement from him. "Sometimes I need it." He says she's his favorite author, the most talented. "Yes, yes, as long as Ofelia doesn't start writing too, right?" She noticed a manuscript on his desk titled "Sin…" by Ofelia Millan Lombardo. "We're talking about your work right now," he says. "Sometimes I think I'm going to die without seeing you at peace with my wife." Ximena says she just can't deal with her.

Ofelia reassures Ricardo that she'll be there both for him and for Ximena.

Present: Moran tells Gerardo that the blood tests showed morphine. Gerardo says in advanced cases of cancer, it's used to control pain. He says Ricardo's body was completely "invaded" and he wouldn't have lived much longer. "Then what's the point of giving him an overdose?" "So he won't feel his death." Gerardo smiles at Moran as if to say, "Catch a clue, you dumb schmuck."

Past: Ofelia goes to the front gate and lets in Jorge, the guy who was with her at the hospital when Ricardo first went in. Jorge asks about Ricardo. Ofelia says he's in his library, reading. Jorge brought him some more books. Ofelia cuts him off and says she heard he was going to buy the library from her. She wants him to tell Ricardo that he changed his mind because Ricardo is going to die and he doesn't know it yet. Jorge tells her that as long as there's life, there's hope. Ofelia doesn't know what to do anymore. She tells Jorge the cancer has metastasized. "Sometimes I want to believe that he's going to get better, but the truth is, he's dying." Ricardo wheels himself down the hall as Ofelia and Jorge head for an open door. He hears her saying to Jorge that she wants Ricardo to believe he's going to get better and things are going to be like they were before. Ricardo interrupts them and asks what they're whispering about.

Ofelia heads for the gate and opens it to Sandra. Sandra asks how things are. "The same. Now he's calm. Jorge came to see him and that lifted his spirits." Sandra asks how Ofelia is doing. The truth is, she really hasn't had time to think about it. She only has time for him. Sandra hopes she won't be offended, but the neighborhood has organized themselves to pray for her and Ricardo. Ofelia says she's not offended, even if she and Ricardo aren't believers. Sandra tells her they're going to pray at her house at 6 that evening. She asks if Ofelia needs anything. Ofelia thanks her and hugs her.

Jorge begs Ricardo to put his oxygen mask back on, but Ricardo refuses. He tells Jorge that he's dying, but Ofelia can't or won't understand. Ofelia stands outside the door and listens to him tell Jorge that he's dying. He can feel it inside. He asks Jorge not to tell anyone what they talked about. Ofelia knocks on the door and Jorge grabs a book off the desk and shoves it in his bag. He looks guilty as Ofelia walks in. He says "Oh, good, you're here. I was just telling Ricardo to put the oxygen mask back on, but he won't, he's very stubborn!" Ofelia says it's fine. She tells Ricardo they'll eat soon. Jorge takes his leave and Ofelia asks them what they're plotting. Ricardo says she can't know everything, "It's guy stuff." She gives a disbelieving look and says she'll walk Jorge out.

She thanks Jorge for coming. Jorge pulls out his wallet and says "Oh, I forgot, I owe Ricardo some money, would you give it to him, please?" Ofelia tells him to keep it, they've got plenty of money from her retirement and Ricardo's grant. "And don't play along with him." Jorge says Ricardo asked and he can't refuse. Ofelia says, "You know what I always loved about Ricardo? He was always a bad liar." Jorge laughs and says that's right.

Present: Sandra looks at a picture of Ricardo and tells Capellan that Ricardo and Ofelia were very much in love when they got married. When Ricardo got sick, Ofelia learned how to do everything to take care of him. Capellan asks how the daughter got along with her stepmother. Sandra says that it was a difficult relationship, that Ximena never accepted her parents' divorce and she blamed Ofelia for it.

Past: Ofelia comes home with groceries. Ximena comes down the stairs and Ofelia thanks her for taking care of her dad while she was out. Ximena asks Ofelia what her plans are for after her dad is gone. "I don't know. Learn to survive without him, know what life is like without him, live without him." "Without him, without his house, without his friends." "Ximena, you're not hurting me, you're hurting yourself. The blow is coming for both of us, why keep fighting?" Ximena says if she doesn't fight, she doesn't exist. She says that because of Ofelia she had to leave her own house and stay away from her father. "No one has pushed you aside! Your father adores you!" "And you love me a lot too, don't you?" Ximena asks sarcastically. "Yeah, right," she answers herself when Ofelia doesn't say anything. Little punk.

Ofelia helps Ricardo into bed. He asks her for an injection and she says he's supposed to wait another two hours. He asks again and says the pain in his back is killing him. Ofelia agrees and goes to wash her hands. She pulls open a drawer on the nightstand and pulls out a syringe and a box with "morphine" on it. She remembers talking to the doctor and being shocked that she would be giving him morphine. The doctor tells her the pain is strong and they'll start with one ampoule every four hours. If he's not going to be in the hospital, only the morphine will be able to control the pain. Ofelia tells the doctor that he does have his good days--friends come to visit, he reads, writes, he talks to his daughter. The doctor says the good days will be fewer. Ofelia worries that the morphine cold kill him. "Only in a high dose. It would cause respiratory depression and he'd suffocate. For that you'd have to inject him with 3 or 4 ampoules. Don't worry. I'm only prescribing one. It's nothing." Ofelia gives Ricardo the injection in his IV. He feels the relief immediately. He pats the bed so Ofelia will get in with him. She curls up next to him and he asks her if Jorge paid the money he owed. Ofelia lies and says he did and not to worry about it. He tells her he doesn't understand how such an intelligent woman ever paid any attention to him. She says it's because he looks just like Pedro Infante. "Good thing you're going blind," he says, and laughs. He says she must be angry at him because he promised he'd take care of her when she got old. "Well, I'm already old." "But I'm the one who's dying." Ofelia insists he's going to get better.

The neighbors pray the rosary and walk down the street with candles. Ofelia thought bubbles, "I don't believe in God. I believed in Ricardo and he's dying. It's hard for me to believe in things I can't see, even though I would like to believe, because I realize that it makes people feel better to believe, right?"

Present: Capellan talks to Jorge. Jorge tells her that that he and Ricardo had been friends for 45 years. They grew up together in the same neighborhood. Capellan says that Ofelia has declared herself guilty of murdering her husband. Jorge says she suffered a lot with Ricardo's illness. "Did he know he was dying?" Jorge says he felt it and he even gave Jorge a book a few days before he died, to give to his daughter. "I think you should read it." It looks like a journal.

Past: Ofelia gripes at Ricardo for getting out of bed by himself. He says he's just going to the bathroom. He finally gets in there and she offers to help him, but he says he can do it himself. They both look down and realize it's too late. She says she'll help him get changed and he says he'll do it himself. She leaves the bathroom and says she'll be right outside if he needs anything. She closes the door and they both cry. Dudes, this one is just sad. I don't think there's a twist or anything. I can't even consider it murder at this point, unless there's something we haven't seen yet that changes things.

Present: Moran tells Gerardo he believes the handwriting is the same. Capellan comes in and says, "People, I've got a murderess who confessed and you have nothing to say?" Gerardo says the victim had a high dose of morphine. Moran says the handwriting is a 100% match. "He asked for it, Sofia," says Gerardo.

Past: Ofelia helps Ricardo into bed. He says he's better. He refuses the oxygen mask. Ricardo does the "you've got something on your face" bit and kisses her. "You've got a kiss there." She calls him a liar. "The only liar here is you. Ofelia, in the name of the love that we have for each other, don't let me lose my dignity. Not that, please. Promise me." Ofelia nods and says she promises.

Ofelia paces the kitchen and cries. "Not lose dignity? How does one do that?"

Ofelia feeds Ricardo some soup. He tells her it was good. "We've had a good life together, haven't we?" Ofelia agrees.

11 months ago: Ricardo and Ofelia hold champagne glasses. Ricardo tells the assembled guests, "They say there's always some madness in love." Ofelia interrupts and says there's also reason in madness. Ricardo says he'd like to tell them there's no madness in love. "Love IS madness or it's nothing. So we'd like you to toast with us for these 21 years of immense madness and happiness." Everyone toasts. Ofelia thanks them all for being there. Everybody laughs and has a good time. Ricardo lights up his pipe. (This is possibly the same night he goes to the hospital, since he was talking about having fun at a get-together.)

Ricardo asks what time it is. Ofelia says it's 8:30 and goes to get his sedative so he can sleep. Ricardo says he doesn't want it. "Did you call Ximena?" She's coming later. "And does she know?" "Yes."

Present: Capellan and Ximena have their showdown. Ximena gets up in Capellan's face and says "Tell me why she killed him," or at least that's what I think she said. Capellan puts up her hands and Ximena sits down. She asks about the relationship between Ricardo and Ofelia. "She destroyed my family. When they divorced, my mother went to live in the United States. I didn't want to live with them, so my dad had me sent to school. Why did she kill him?"

Past: The neighbors walk down the street with candles, praying. They pray for Ricardo's family at a shrine they set up outside. Inside, Ricardo struggles to breathe and Ofelia holds his hand.

Present: Capellan sits down with Ofelia. "We try not to get hurt. How absurd. As if pain can be avoided." Capellan says that even if our loved ones are in pain, it doesn't justify that we decide whether they live or die. "But I already knew what was coming. All I could hear was the noise he made when he tried to breathe. The asphyxia, the coughing. You know, I didn't want to see him like that anymore."

Past: the neighbors keep praying.

Present: "It's strange, killing. As if one stops being normal when one kills another person, don't you think? But I wanted to protect my husband, you know? Have you ever been in love?" Capellan doesn't answer.

Past: Ricardo coughs and struggles to breathe. Ofelia starts to prepare another injection. Ricardo takes off the oxygen mask. He whispers something to her, I think "it's time." She puts the injection into his IV tube and cries.

Present: Ximena sits in DIEM and reads her father's journal. "Ximena, adored daughter, I've lost the battle. My heart tells me, and the silence of your eyes and of Ofelia's. Don't worry. Time will make you understand that living with rancor suffocates you, it holds you back, and that the best good in the world is living life with complete loyalty. The battle is over. Only Ofelia's immense love has saved me from this abyss. I've asked her to help me not lose dignity and be able to die like what I've been--an honest, faithful man, faithful to himself. Forgive me if I wasn't able to be the father you dreamed of. I adore you." Ximena closes the book and cries. Aranda looks on.

Ofelia and Ximena enter the hallway on opposite sides. Ximena is hugging the book. Ofelia looks at her and says "I did it for love." She keeps walking and Ximena sits down.

Past: Four ampoules are now sitting on the nightstand, empty. Ricardo is still struggling to breathe. Ofelia picks up the syringe and injects it into the IV tube. Ricardo keeps gasping and looking surprised. His breathing stops and his face relaxes somewhat. Ofelia cries.

"Ofelia Millan Lombardo was sentenced to two years in prison. Due to the evidence presented by Sofia Capellan to the judge, her sentence was commuted to house arrest for six months. Ximena visits her frequently. The legality of a living will or the right that people have to refuse medical treatment in case of terminal illness is currently being debated in Congress. Helping someone die is today in Mexico, and it many countries in America, an offense according to criminal law."

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