- You bring the check? - Yes, sir.
All right then.
We was busier than a three-dicked goat there
for a while.
We're just a petting zoo at a country carnival,
we ain't hurting nobody. They still hassle us.
So, look,
we got a zebra...
...and a llama, too,
if you're interested.
She's in here.
Hi, Gigi.
You're feeding her cereal?
Gigi! Gigi! Calm your ass down!
You're gonna piss her off! Get back!
I got it from here. Please just go.
Hi, mom it a.
You hungry?
Mm.
Come here, come here.
You're safe now.
Let's get you out of here.
Whoo-whoo-whoo!
We got a chicken on the high board!
- Chicken? - Yeah, you!
Me? Look who's talking, you're the one down there!
- Just jump already! - Benji, watch!
This is how the pros do it.
Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey! Hey. Stop, I was joking!
- Don't do it. Nate! - Come on.
Whoo! Yeah!
Nate!
Oh, my God, that was crazy.
Are you good, dude?
Yeah. Come on.
- Annabelle? - Yeah.
Did you do the deviled eggs?
Um... they're in the garage fridge.
Can you get them, sweetheart?
I wanna make sure we have enough.
- Chairs are done. - All of 'em?
-Yeah -Thank you, Benji.
- Just two? - Yo, what's up?
We forgot to get towels.
Where you going?
The lake. We're gonna rent a boat.
That's a... That's a great idea.
- Great idea. - No. No, no, no, no.
Nate, we want to go alone.
Travis is only gonna be here for a few days.
Well, you don't know how to drive a boat.
Travis does.
Mom, can you tell him, please?
Oh, honey, this is not my action item.
Y'all are old enough.
I don't have to referee for you anymore, okay?
But your brother's only gonna be here
for a couple more weeks,
and then he goes off to college.
So... don't you want to have some quality time with him?
No,
I've been with him all summer.
Okay guys, let me tell it to you.
I've got 14 people coming for dinner.
I have not even started the fried chicken yet,
your dad is not back yet to help me with the fireworks,
and if you're gonna stay here, you're gonna work.
But otherwise, go on to the lake and have a good time
and get out of my hair. Okay? You guys work it out.
Katy, come on, it's not a big deal.
The more, the merrier.
Fine, but you're not driving.
Well, can I come?
No!
Fine.
I'll just stay here and day drink with Grandma.
You always were my favorite.
Be back by six o'clock, okay?
The guests are coming, your dad'll be back.
- Whoo! - Yeah!
No seat belts, nothing! What the hell? I love that boy.
- Yo. - Yo.
What took you so long, dude?
Man, I was, uh, busy.
- Also, did you get any... - Wait for me, wait for me, okay?
Where are you going?
Whoa.
Hi.
- Hey, did they card you? - Got a fake ID, Benny.
Not an issue.
Uh, actually it's Benji with a J.
Right, where you headed?
- Out to lake. Chill on the boat. - Oh, good for you.
We got room if you wanna come.
Hmm. Pass.
I do not do summer people.
Is that right?
You know, I'm a local.
Local, you say? Local, okay. Yeah, well, that's too bad.
I mean, we're gonna break out the main yacht today.
We're gonna land the chopper right on the poop deck.
- What? - No, I'm kidding.
We're just gonna drink some beers
and do a little tubing.
Come on.
Sure you don't wanna come?
I don't even know who you are.
I'm Nate.
Hey, who does this?
Kid's an animal.
Wait, where is he?
He gets easily distracted.
Hey!
- Let go! - Hurry up!
Come on!
Lori, you got your whole life ahead of you.
You're 17. What do you wanna do with the rest of your life?
What are you dreaming about?
Um, I have always dreamed of a career in fireworks sales.
You know, that was pretty badass
how you just quit your job like that.
Yeah, I mean, I was just covering for my sister.
She was hungover today.
She's actually hungover every day,
but yeah.
It's way too freakin' hot.
You getting in the water?
Mm-hmm.
I wish I was 17 again.
Mama, looks like it's gonna rain.
- Yeah. - Nate, come on up!
- They're canceling your flight? - No, not yet.
- Well, can you ask 'em? - Well, I have.
There's a million other people wondering the same thing.
Well, this sucks.
'Cause people are just getting ready to arrive
and I've spent all afternoon preparing everything.
Honey, there's a line of thunderstorms.
There's nothing I can do. It's just nature.
You could have waited until after the holidays
to travel.
There were three other firms looking at this project, honey.
If I wasn't here, we'd never have a shot at it.
I know. I'm just...
I'm just frustrated, sweetheart, that's all.
Hello?
- Dad? - Yeah.
They're diverting his flight out of Atlanta
'cause of the thunderstorms everything,
but he said to go ahead and start without him.
Sweetheart.
- Are you okay? - My head hurts like, um...
a lot.
Oh, you're fine, you're fine.
Just get some Aspirin, get a lot of water, okay?
'Cause I'm gonna need you to bring the chicken down.
Mama, guests are arriving. Hello!
Happy 4th.
Dear God, you might not remember me,
but here I am.
Bless this food and bless this family,
and most of these friends here.
Bless our country,
and happy birthday to us and all that business.
And also, if you could light a fire under Marvin over at CVS,
that would be great.
'Cause my prescription still isn't ready
and my arthritis is killing me.
Thank you.
See, at least somebody
is listening to me around here. Amen.
All right. Bon appétitty, as they say in France.
Dammit.
I thought that we were gonna make it before the rain,
but looks like not. So, everybody grab your plates.
Plan B, anything, just carry it.
Let's go inside, okay.
Grab your plate now.
I got the pie. Nate, come on, honey.
If you don't feel good, you can lay down,
- but grab your plate, come on. - Yeah, okay.
What a busy day.
Oh, I can't wait to dip into that cake.
- Canasta, that works... - No, no, no, no.
- You can't do that. - What?
Mom!
Something's wrong with Nate.
What?
Oh, my God.
Nate. Oh, my God, what's wrong?
Come here, come here. What is wrong?
Breathe.
- Honey, just breathe. Katy! - Mom.
- Breathe. Katy! - Mom, what is it?
Yes. Honey, get my car, bring it round front.
Katy, go!
Go! I know what I'm doing. Go.
I got you, baby, just breathe.
Breathe. I got you, I got you. Just breathe.
Oh, my God, please, please, please. Just breathe.
Trust me. It's okay. I've got you.
Please, dear God. Please, dear God.
Oh, my God, please, dear God.
Help!
Hello!
Why did he need the catheter?
It's for the urine screen.
I already told you, he is not on drugs.
I just want to know that my son is going to be okay.
Ma'am, I understand.
We're gonna take him for a CT scan.
We should know something soon.
Wait...
I've been calling your dad for half an hour.
He doesn't answer.
Why doesn't he answer?
I'm concerned about the scan.
There's swelling around the brain
and I don't know why.
I'd like to do a lumbar puncture.
- What is that? - A spinal tap.
To check for signs of a possible infection.
And... you want to do that here?
Uh, yeah, it won't take long
but I need you all to wait outside.
Katy, we're not doing anything else here.
- Uh, I want to go home. - Mrs. Gibson.
I'm wanna go back to Nashville.
I wanna go to St Celine Hospital.
Mom. Mom, that's like a five-hour drive.
We're not driving, honey, we...
I want an airplane or a helicopter,
or whatever it is that's gonna get him there the fastest, okay?
And I want it... Start dialing! I want it now!
I need to drive two hundred and eleven miles
to Nashville, Tennessee.
I need a car, and I need it right now.
This is a medical emergency.
My son has been in a horrific accident.
He's being Life Flighted right now
to the hospital.
I don't even know how he is.
I'm so sorry.
If you had a reservation maybe I could...
How am I supposed to have a reservation?
I'm not even supposed to be here!
Sir.
Excuse me just for one second, please.
- Sir. - Please, please,
- just one minute, please. - Take my reservation.
It's economy,
probably a little crappy Kia or something,
but it'll get you there.
And, uh... I'm sorry to hear about your son.
Mom? I'm Doctor Clark. I'm the chief neurosurgeon ITU.
We got him now.
Hello.
Are you the father?
What's presenting is meningitis.
We think it probably came from the water in the lake.
When you dive or jump,
germs can blast into the sinuses and then the bloodstream
before inflaming the brain.
And, uh... that's what's causing the seizures?
I know it's hard to watch,
but we're doing the best we can.
- How do you treat this? - Priority one
is to reduce the swelling around his brain
and maintain his blood pressure.
We're treating with antibiotics
until we know more.
And how long does that take?
Anywhere from 28 to 48 hours.
He could be like this for two more days?
- Most likely. - Wait.
Why isn't anyone saying?
Excuse me?
Why isn't anyone saying?
Is Nate going to be okay?
Your son is very sick.
We're doing all we can, but you should know,
mortality rates in his age and profile
are 80 percent.
- Oh, God. - If he survives,
there's also a significant risk of brain impairment.
Loss of speech, loss of hearing,
cognitive dysfunction.
Even paralysis.
Why?
I can't do this.
Give it to... Okay.
Look, remember what the doctor said.
We should be prepared for all possible outcomes.
- Right? - I can't.
What if, in three days' time,
he wakes up and he's perfectly normal?
That's not possible.
Nate Gibson has never been completely normal.
Yeah.
He's a funny little kid.
You remember the time
he took that little red wagon of his,
loaded it up with all my clothes,
wheeled it around the lake,
and tried to sell it to all my friends?
I mean, that kid is just...
Dan...
I'm so scared.
Me too.
Part of it is these...
horrible thoughts I keep having.
I know.
Yeah.
It's okay.
Go ahead.
Let it go.
I'm right here.
We'll get through this.
We'll get through it.
So, do not leave, Nathaniel.
You do not have my permission.
You understand?
Nate?
Mom!
Dan!
Nate!
I got you, honey.
I got you.
Hold on.
Cebus For Independence.
Hi.
I'd like to follow up about our request
for a service animal for my son.
- Hi. - Hey.
Welcome to Cebus.
Thank you. It's amazing.
How are you doing, Nate? You excited?
- Yeah. Hell yeah, I'm excited. - Yeah?
Your husband couldn't make it?
No, he's at home with my mother.
And is everything okay?
It will be.
Claire, we talked about this. I mean, you're taking on a lot,
and if Dan's having second thoughts...
No. No, he's not. He's not.
He knows that this is what Nate wants, and...
everything will be fine, I promise.
Nate, come on.
Now, remember what we talked about
in the home visit.
That you're gonna go in first.
Frank's gonna be sitting at the table
and we're just gonna
give Gigi a little time to acclimate to you.
- Okay. - Okay?
There she is.
Hey, Gigi.
Now remember, this is her first placement.
She has had years of training,
but it takes a little while for her to establish a bond.
What is that, peanut butter?
Mm-hmm. It helps with the training.
I don't think she likes you.
No, she likes me. She...
She just doesn't know it yet.
So cute.
Where did you get her from again?
A petting zoo in California.
It was more like a traveling circus.
They didn't treat her so well.
Well, that is about to change.
Ready?
Yeah.
All right, let's go in slow
so she gets used to you,
and kind of circle around.
Okay?
You guys can stay with me here,
so we give them a little space.
How you doing?
Sorry we're late.
It was... it was crazy out there.
Yeah, I know you're supposed to allow 15 minutes
to account for traffic, but...
it takes me a little while to get ready these days.
I haven't...
seen him smile
in months.
Hey.
Hi.
Oh, Dad's waiting.
Okay.
- Did you take care of the dog? - Yes, he's behind the gate.
And is the monkey cage ready?
- Yes, we're all set. - Okay.
- I'm good. I got it. - Good?
- Yeah. - All right.
Monkey in the house, people!
Oh, lucky us.
How you doing?
Good. I got a passenger here.
I... I can see.
She's a lot smaller than I thought.
This is Father. He likes beer.
You should let her out.
She has to go straight to his room.
She has to imprint the environment first.
This is Banjo.
He likes barking.
- Quiet. Quiet. - Quiet.
Ah.
Get used to it.
This is a crazy town around here.
Here we go.
And you're in.
This is it.
This is where you're gonna live.
This is my sling chair.
I sit in it when they need to move me
'cause I'm really heavy.
And these... these are my paintings.
This is where I do my physical therapy.
AKA weakly torture.
It's pretty boring, but it's not like I can go to the gym, right?
And over here...
This is your house.
You wanna come out?
You know, chill for a while?
You ready?
Yeah, they call it monkey college.
They train for like five years
before they can come to the house.
Is the monkey cool?
She's great. She's hanging out in her cage right now.
Annabelle. Come help with the dishes.
Nate's not finished eating yet.
It's okay, Nogo's here.
Top left!
- Take him out! - Has she come out?
Uh-uh.
Like I said, you just ignore her and do your own thing, okay?
I mean, she has to learn your routine.
Does she bite?
Oh, no.
Hey, Nogo, this is Gigi.
Uh, Nogo's there? What's she wearing?
She's wearing scrubs.
You need to get a life, Benjamin.
- Bye, Benji. - Seriously?
- I was in the middle of a game. - No, you weren't.
He was playing, you were just watching. Come on.
Mm-hmm. Come on, you're okay.
Okay.
You're good.
Right, let's get these pants off.
- She likes to undress me. - Oh, be quiet.
Macy Gray, come on down!
Thomas Brown, come on down!
Come on.
Come on, Gigi.
"The weather was clear
and the strongest of the survivors
were able to dig a tunnel in the snow
out of the back of the plane."
"Later that morning..." Page.
Nogo, page.
You're not supposed to look at her.
I can't help it.
I can't tell if she's cute, or if she's gonna eat my soul.
All right.
Left hand.
- Seriously? - Mm-hmm.
You have to work these neural pathways.
The right hand's dominant
because you use it on the joystick.
You gotta train this left hand
twice as hard for it to catch up.
Okay, okay.
- That hurt. - Pain is good.
That means the nerves are working.
- So, the monkey's name is Gigi? - Yeah, she's a capuchin.
Banjo. Banjo.
Banjo, I love you, I do. Shut the hell up!
It's only a monkey!
Hey, Nogo. Do you hear about the bar on the moon?
Great drinks, no atmosphere.
She likes that one.
How's it going?
She's not coming out.
Well, let's try the peanut butter again.
Come on, Gigi.
Check it out.
Come on, you better come and get this
before I eat it myself. Come on.
This is tasty.
Snack time.
Oh, look at that.
Come on.
Mom, she's supposed to be helping me.
Carolyn said it would take time.
Hey, buddy.
Yeah, I'm awake.
I don't sleep.
I pretend so she doesn't worry.
Yeah.
Sucks to be in a cage.
I know what that feels like.
- You wanna put it on the spoon? - No, I'm good. I got the fork...
Mom, who eats tomatoes with a spoon?
- Annabelle. - I'm gonna do it.
Pathetic, wow.
Banjo, hush!
Hello, happy family.
I thought you had classes
on Thursdays?
I'm a senior. Nobody goes to class anymore.
Speak for yourself.
I have Mock Trial tomorrow I'm just taking a break.
For the record, none of this is mine.
And her sheets are disgusting.
- Hey. - Hi, Nana.
Oh, darling.
Where's Dad?
He had to work late.
Since when?
Since the monkey moved in.
What monkey?
Nate got a pet monkey.
Katy, I was gonna tell you
that we have decided that what we...
No. Mom, you said
that you were just thinking about it.
She's not a pet,
- she's a service animal. - Right.
You can't keep a freaking monkey in the house.
Says who? You don't live here anymore.
Where is it?
Katy!
Katy, there is a protocol to all this
and you are not supposed to just go up there.
You're gonna freak her out.
Katy, are you listening?
- Oh, my God. - Never mind.
You keep her in a cage?
It's not a cage,
It's her house. She likes it.
Hi.
Are you okay? No, you're not.
Uh, I wouldn't do that if I were you.
Look! See, you don't disturb her when she's eating.
Basic Monkey 101.
- It went in my mouth. - Oh, my God!
I told you not to do that.
I'll get it. It's okay. Come here.
What is wrong with you people? Monkeys are primates.
They're supposed to be in the wild,
not kept in cages.
Gigi is here for Nate. She is not here for you.
Nate doesn't need his own monkey slave.
Travis, can you tell them?
- You know that I'm right. - I'm Switzerland here.
Smart lawyer. Very smart.
Okay. Mom, this is cruel.
- Come on. - It's inhumane, crazy...
- Get off of your soapbox. - I'm not gonna be a part of it.
Literally no one is asking you to!
Don't open the gate, Travis!
Banjo, stop!
Oh, no, no! Get him, get him, get him!
Hey, grab him!
- Banjo! - Banjo!
Somebody get him! Banjo!
Gigi! Gigi!
Annabelle, shut the door!
Banjo! Banjo, no!
Banjo!
Banjo, get down!
Gigi!
Stay! Stay!
He's gonna eat the monkey!
No, no, no, no, no, Gigi! Gigi!
Gigi, Come here.
Banjo, come back! Banjo!
- Gigi! Get the dog! - I got him.
Hey, Gigi, it's okay.
- Gigi! - It's okay, boy.
Travis, man, how could you let Banjo out the gate?
It's not his fault that our dog's psycho!
Like the rest of this family!
That is rich coming from you!
- It's not his fault? - I didn't mean to, I...
I specifically said don't go in there, you're gonna...
What the hell's going on here?
One person at a time.
One answer.
One person at a time.
This is getting a little ridiculous, Claire.
We got a junior in high school, we got a son in a wheelchair,
we got your eighty-year-old mother here,
and you wanna bring a monkey into the mix?
And train it, and feed it, and clean up
after it tears the house apart?
I thought you were on board with this.
I was. I am.
Doesn't seem like it.
I just wanna be able to come home and relax
at the end of a long week, that's all.
Great. Fine. Go relax.
Not like you ever help me out with anything anyway.
Okay.
- What's going on? - Come on.
When is the last time that you
got up at three in the morning to turn Nate?
Claire, I work. How do you think we pay for our health insurance?
Yeah. Why? You can't get up, I don't know, maybe once a week
to help me out?
I need my sleep, Claire.
You need your sleep?
If you had a job, you'd understand it.
I do have a job! It just doesn't pay!
You think you're the only one
who makes sacrifices around here?
What else do you want, Dan, huh?
You want your perfect life back.
You want your perfect son back.
And your country club membership,
and your house on the lake.
You were the one that sold Happy Days.
Because I had to.
How else were we gonna afford Nate's bedroom?
You know what? We had plenty of money when you were working.
Yeah, we did.
Well then, why don't you go back to the studio?
- Do some cleaning... - I don't have any time!
I take care of Nate day and night.
Come on.
Claire, you can't fix everything!
I mean, if you think that this monkey's
gonna be some magic bullet that's gonna
get Nate out of that wheelchair and walk again,
you are wrong!
You wanna get rid of Gigi?
- No, I didn't say that. Cla... - No, no, it's okay. Come on.
- Now don't get this way with me. - But you tell him. You be the..
- Claire... - Go on up there!
And you tell Nate, "I'm here to take away
the one good thing that's happened to you
in the last four years"!
Claire.
Dad's right.
What?
We should take Gigi back. It's too much.
No, it's not. Your... your dad and I were just venting, honey.
Everything's gonna be all right.
You sold Happy Days because of me.
You haven't...
painted or sculpted in years 'cause of me.
I don't want to be more of a burden
than I already am.
Nate, you are not a burden, okay?
I am your mother.
- There will never be a time... - Oh, Mom, stop. Mom! Get off me!
I just wanna sleep.
It's the only time I don't have to think about it.
Uh, can you please let her know
that I will be at this number all day.
Okay. Thank you.
Was that Cebus?
Mm-hmm.
Each finger, one at a time.
Has anybody said anything?
About what?
I know some people aren't into having, uh,
monkeys being used as service animals.
Well, it doesn't matter. We're taking her back anyway.
Why?
It's, um...
you know, it's just not working out.
Table roll.
Backing it up. Thumb.
- Oh, man. - That was good.
Just open up some extension, all right?
It's okay.
Hey.
"...something like finding gold
when the piece of aluminum
which acting as a shovel, uncovered the..." Page.
That is how you do it.
All right. Okay.
So, it's across these four ones,
and then it starts on this one.
- Okay. All right. - Okay. So, I'll start over.
Yeah.
Nice.
She wants to help.
- That... that is helping. - Oh, really good.
She's throwing me off.
Yes!
- Come on, baby. - Nana, what are you doing?
Sit!
Lay down. Good boy.
Behold...
nature.
Whoo!
All the way now.
Horizontal adduction. Open it up.
Next one.
Both hands, tight grip, smooth figure eight.
Nice.
I've been treating patients
with quadriplegia my whole career,
and I've never seen anyone make such fast progress.
Well, it wasn't me, it was her.
I was determined to pet her.
You should be proud of yourself, Nate.
You've worked hard and it's paying off.
How's your pain these days?
It's there.
Is the gabapentin helping?
Sometimes.
It kinda makes me a little loopy.
These days I... I prefer to go with tail therapy.
What's that?
Gigi. Neck.
Amazing.
Oh, guys, thank you.
- There you go. - Make a wish.
Yes.
I got two.
Okay, just let me do it. I got it.
Bravo!
Here's a little something
long overdue.
Mm-hmm.
- Outstanding. - Yeah?
Should have done this a long time ago.
- Except I never went anywhere. - Well...
you couldn't use it.
Now, you can.
Thank you.
- So cute. - Yeah?
You guys look great.
- What do you think? Good? - I think that's good.
- You wanna post it? - I wanna post it.
- Right there. - All right, here we go.
I am online.
We're online, Gigi.
Monkey Monet.
Okay. All right.
Next, we gotta get some cereal. Okay.
Frosted Flakes?
Hey, Annabelle won't be happy.
Not a fan of tigers?
Oh, look at you, you charmer.
Leprechauns. I understand.
Yeah?
All right. Here we go.
Come on, don't fail me now, hands.
Come on. There you go.
Hey, do I...
Do I know you?
That a trick question?
Oh. Oh, my God, you're...
It... it's me. Lori. We went swimming on 4th of July, and...
Yes, right. Oh, my...
Sorry, um...
Oh my God, you look different.
Me? God, what the hell happened to you?
Oh, my God, I am so sorry.
- It's okay. - No, it's not. It's not okay.
That's like the worst thing I've ever said in my entire life.
I am so sorry. I really didn't... I didn't mean to...
Let me get it out the way for you, okay?
Yes, I'm paralyzed.
Yes, it hurts.
No, I can't go to the bathroom.
Yes, I can feed myself.
And no, I don't need you
to get me anything off the shelf.
So, the, uh, the... the monkey.
What monkey?
No. Yeah.
This is Gigi.
My service animal.
Can I pet him?
Her. And, uh, no, sorry, I'm not supposed to let you.
Why, does she... Does she bite or something?
No, no, she's... She's super friendly.
But, uh, it's just kinda what I have to do.
Although, uh...
she likes fruit.
Like a lot.
So, uh, you got any blueberries lying around?
Uh, yeah. Yeah, for sure. Um, one second.
You hungry? Please be hungry. You better eat right now.
Oh, look at this.
Okay, one at a time, in the palm of your hand.
Want it? Maybe not.
- Go on. - Okay.
Oh, you like that?
- Aren't you lucky. - She is so cute.
So, this is kinda crazy.
You... you live in Nashville now?
Uh, yeah. Yeah, I'm a... I'm a senior at Belmont.
Theater program. People say I am very dramatic.
I'm sorry, can I get a picture?
- Hey, smile. - Smile, little monkey.
Ah, that's awesome.
'Cause I totally have to post this,
so what's your, uh, what's your handle?
You know, now I have to say it out loud,
it's kind of embarrassing, but, uh..
"Its the monkey guy."
Yeah.
No, it's, it's cute.
All right.
I love it. All right. Um...
Uh, I...
I have to get back to work, but, um...
it was really nice to see you, Nate.
Yeah, you, too.
We should, um, we should hang out sometime.
Yeah, that... that could be cool.
- Um... All right. Bye. - All right.
Bye.
Nice job, Gigi.
You know that girl?
Yeah, yeah. Her name's Lori.
Young man? Young man.
Hi.
Hi. Is that your monkey?
Yeah. This is Gigi.
- You wanna get a picture? - He can't be in here.
- Excuse me? - It's against the law.
Oh, no, actually, it's not.
This is a service animal for my son.
Service animals are only allowed
in places of public accommodation.
That doesn't include grocery stores.
Thank you very much. But we come here all the time.
It's not sanitary.
Monkeys carry diseases and it's a public health risk.
You could get everybody in here sick.
Excuse me, lady...
Mom, forget about it.
- Okay, we were just leaving. - No, I won't forget about it.
- We have every right to be here. - Not with that monkey.
Should I get the manager?
Got this from the manager.
Now, he says he didn't even know y'all were there.
Then what is he complaining about?
- Yeah. - Well, he's not.
Call we got
came from this lady here.
Y'all ever heard of Americans For Animal Protection?
- Mm-mm. - Um, vaguely.
That there is Chloe Gaines, Tennessee chapter president.
- Wait, you know her? - Oh, yeah.
Everyone in Animal Control does.
Chloe's the reason you can't keep live chickens
in Davidson County anymore.
Or snakes, or exotic birds.
There's a whole long list. Now...
I can't get anything off the shelves without her.
Guys. Officer, I'll take it. This is on me.
Um, Officer,
Gigi is a service animal,
so we all thought that we could just bring her anywhere.
Well, you can, except...
for grocery stores, or restaurants.
Basically, anything around food handling.
Okay, got it. Now we know. Never happen again.
Mm. Yeah.
So...
I've seen the animal.
ID'd the owner.
Investigated the environment.
Nothing inhumane or unsanitary going on around here, right?
Come back for dinner.
We've been going to that store
for over a year now
and no one's ever said a thing.
Claire, I get it
and I know it's frustrating, but trust me,
it's not worth picking a fight over.
Just please, next time, leave Gigi at home.
She's a busybody.
And I wanted to punch her right in her botoxed face.
Remind me never to get on your bad side.
...has enough food, and then Nate, uh,
his exercise balls are right over here, okay?
- Yeah, watch out, on your left. - You got them right here.
And then here's his schedule.
Annabelle, she has a sleepover right after school.
Then Nogo's coming in at 5:30, just a little bit early.
Katy promised she'd be here no later than ten o'clock.
Here are all of Nate's meds.
Oh, don't forget he has to recline at two o'clock,
then again at four o'clock.
And here are the emergency medical numbers
- just in case you need them. - Claire, I get it.
- I've raised two kids. - But we weren't special needs.
Hmm. Debatable.
Mama. Okay, here are the numbers
of where we're gonna be, all right?
My cell phone number...
Mom, nothing is gonna happen. Okay?
You got Dan's cell phone number, okay?
You just call us and we will come right back.
- My mom's gone crazy. - Any questions?
When are you gonna leave?
This is the longest goodbye in history.
Mama, it is a five-hour window until Nogo gets here,
so I just wanna make sure you can handle it.
- I can handle it. - Okay.
Goodbye, sweetheart. I love you.
All right.
It's gonna be fine, okay? Dad's gonna be surprised.
Go have fun. I love you.
Hey, turn that thing off,
or maybe play with your grandma.
Bye.
Does that monkey know where she hides the vodka?
"Don't know who's cuter, the monkey or the boy."
You hear that?
We got fans, Gigi.
"Primates are not pets."
"Capuchins are vicious."
"They can hurt you."
Oh, my God, look who messaged me.
Gigi, you wanna go to a party?
All right, Gigi, all right.
No, don't. Just stay there. Gigi, stay.
Don't wake her.
Hey! Wait up!
He has a monkey.
What?
I said, that boy has a monkey.
Well, what do you want me to do about it?
It's a free country.
Oh, my God, awesome. He actually came.
Its the monkey guy in the house.
Oh, my God. How are you?
I'm good. How are you?
I... I am great.
- Yeah? - Hey, Paul.
Leonard. Sophie. Come here.
This... this is Nate and Gigi.
Gigi's the monkey. I'm... I'm the Nate.
You are the helper monkey guy.
- Mm-hmm. - Uh-huh.
That's me.
And, um, how do you know Lori?
Oh, she stocks a mean produce section.
Mm. Crazy good.
Mm, really good with her hands.
You're actually the new guy around town.
Hate to say it, but you gotta take a shot. House rules.
Oh, man, you don't scare me.
Got it? All right, let me get mine.
- Let's do it. - All right, everybody.
All right.
To the monkey!
Feeling good?
She's gone. Not coming back.
She's never had this much attention in her life.
She's showing off now.
Oh my God,
she is so cute.
Yeah, she is.
I'm really glad you came. You having fun?
Yeah.
Yeah, your friends are cool.
They are.
Hello?
It's your grandmother.
We got a jailbreak.
What?
Well, see, I took a short nap, and when I woke up,
- well, Nate was gone. - What do you mean, gone?
As in, not here. And neither is the monkey.
Wait, wait, wait. My turn, my turn.
Okay, well, where's Nogo?
She's at the movies.
She said Nate called her,
and he told her to take the night off
because he said you'd be home early.
Don't worry about it. I'll handle it.
Just don't go anywhere, and don't call anyone yet.
Especially not Mom or Dad.
Honey, I'd rather eat a shit sandwich right now
than talk to your mother.
I miss you.
We should do this more often.
- Whoo! - Whoo!
Whoo!
Hey, you know the last time
I had fun at one of these parties?
Never.
- It is all because of you. - Really?
Nate!
What the hell are you doing?
How did you find me?
Oh, my God.
You're drunk.
Gigi, in. We have to go.
- Why do we need to go? - Because I said so!
I gotta go.
Unbelievable.
I had two 8-tops with huge tips coming
and I had to walk out in the middle of my shift,
and get into this dork minivan,
in my dork uniform,
and walk into that dork party to try and find you.
- That is a dork uniform. - This isn't funny!
Katy, it's not a big deal.
Yes, it is a big deal!
You're not a normal person.
You can't just leave the house whenever you feel like it.
What if something had happened to you?
What if you'd fallen out of your chair,
or you'd gotten so drunk that you passed out?
Those idiots couldn't help you.
Well, I had Gigi with me.
Great, what is she gonna do?
It's a freaking monkey.
You lied to Nogo,
who knows what you told Nana,
but you know who you really screwed here? Me.
The one night that I'm in charge,
and that's when you decide to pull this shit?
Look at you.
You're a complete mess! What the hell were you thinking?
I just wanted to go to a party.
Oh.
Oh, my God, this is officially the best burger I've ever had.
Ever.
I think that's the booze talking, maybe.
Hopefully all that grease will soak it up.
So, um...
I actually got a job offer yesterday.
The problem is, it's in Atlanta.
What is the problem with that?
Because I'd have to move.
And you don't want to?
Nate, I feel...
like I have a responsibility
to take care of you,
and I'm worried...
if I leave,
that you won't be okay.
Okay.
First of all, that's insane.
Second of all,
since when have you ever taken care of me?
- Yeah, that's my point. - Ever.
I was already in college when you got hurt.
And I went through the whole thing
being so selfish,
and self-centered, and I fully admit that.
But I'm older now.
- I... I feel like it's my turn. - Turn?
What turn? There is no turn.
- I'm being serious. - So am I.
You can't change your life because of me.
You don't think I...
already feel like a burden all of the time?
It's not a burden. I just... I wanna be here if you need me.
Why is it so wrong?
Because.
You already gave me what I needed.
Come on. I was... It was in the hospital,
I was lying in the bed.
It was cold, there were all these nurses.
I know I looked like I was out of it, but I wasn't.
I was awake.
And it hurt, a lot, and I couldn't tell anyone.
And then you came in.
And you said...
"Don't leave, Nathaniel. You don't have my permission."
I heard you.
I fought.
I didn't leave.
You already saved me once. You don't have to do it again.
- This is so bad. - It's everywhere.
I asked them not to post that online.
- Didn't you see this happening? - No.
So, I think they found your name.
- Hi, guys. - Hey.
- What's going on? - Nothing.
Nate!
What?
We have to show her.
Show me what?
Oh, my word.
When was this?
Last night.
Last night?
Oh, my God.
- Mom, it's not his fault. - Oh, my...
My friends were having a party and I wanted Nate to go.
Why?
Because he never leaves the house!
He leaves the house all the time!
Yeah, not for anything fun!
Let's go, people. Come on.
Everybody with their signs in front of the property.
Come on, everybody, let's do this.
Don't go into the private property.
Keep it on the fence. This is a home, everyone.
Yeah, let's get that banner up.
And you guys took Gigi?
You took Gigi to a party.
And you took pictures of Gigi drinking!
Oh, my God.
Let's get some footage here.
Let's have our signs.
Come on, everybody, let's come. Let's come up this way.
Don't go into the private property.
So, let's start the chant.
Okay. Um, where was Mom?
- Asleep. - Where was Nogo?
I gave her the night off!
- You don't give her... - Holy shit! You're trending.
- Where? - Twitter. look.
- Yeah, and also TikTok. - It's not good.
Shame! Shame! Shame!
It's cruel and inhumane!
Shame! Shame! Shame!
It's cruel and inhumane!
Shame, shame, shame!
Monkeys aren't slaves!
Oh, no.
Okay, guys, would you get off your freaking phones
and just talk to me?
- Claire. - Not now, Mother.
In what universe do you think it is...
- Claire! - Mom,
you are so on my shit list right now.
Duly noted.
But you might wanna see this. Come on.
I'll go round. You stay safe, Mama.
Shame, shame, shame! Monkeys aren't slaves!
Shame, shame, shame!
Monkeys aren't slaves!
Shame, shame, shame! Monkeys aren't slaves!
What the hell's going on?
Exercising our right to peaceful protest.
Okay. Well, let me tell you something.
I've got an eighty-year-old mother inside,
I've got a disabled child, a 17-year-old daughter.
This is disturbing.
You guys need to back up and go home.
This is a public sidewalk.
I remember you.
I remember you from the store.
Chloe, right?
If you've got an issue,
why don't you just talk to me like an adult?
- Excuse me, please. - Shame! Shame!
I am recording this.
And I am calling the police.
Shame, shame, shame!
Katy!
Oh.
Mom, are you okay?
Katy, call the police.
Katy, call the... Go, go, go!
Shame, shame, shame!
What the hell is...?
Are you people crazy?
Hey!
I work here. Oh my God. Stop!
- Come on, are you okay? - Yeah. Jesus.
Shame! Shame! Shame!
You people are insane!
What's going on?
Well, Nate went to a party last night, took Gigi.
- What? - Yes. And the video went viral.
- Oh, my God. - Now we've got AFAP on our hands
and we've got all these... Mama, what are you doing?
Protecting your property.
You're disgusting!
Sidewalk only. Not on our lawn.
- Mom. - You hear me?
You wanna take my picture? Cheese.
- I can't believe this. - I know.
I know. It's pretty bad.
So, you said there was gonna be a hearing?
- Yeah. - When?
Two days.
These people are very powerful, and they've been lobbying
to change the service animal laws
for years
and Tennessee was always on their list.
Change them how?
By making capuchins illegal.
They've already done it in Kansas and Florida.
And now, with all this...
What, you're saying they're doing this because of me?
They see an opportunity, Nate.
All we did was take her to a stupid party.
It's not like she hurt anybody.
I know, but it's not about that.
Look, once Animal Control gets involved,
it changes things.
There's a lot of people
that don't agree with what we do.
Okay, so what happens if they change the law?
You guys, what, you're gonna take Gigi away
and I'm never gonna see her again?
And after several complaints to Animal Control
involving a local man and his monkey helper,
the legislature is scheduled to take up the issue tomorrow.
Today, in Nashville news, public outcry
after a young man brought his service monkey
to a local grocery store and then to a college party.
Meet Chloe Gaines, long time animal activist
and member of Americans for Animal Protection.
On a recent visit to her local supermarket,
she encountered 23-year-old Nate Gibson
and his capuchin companion Gigi.
And finally tonight,
the tale of a Tennessee man and his capuchin monkey
that went viral over the weekend.
It's re-igniting the debate over what constitutes
a service animal in this country.
Hi, um, Mrs. Gibson. I'm... I'm Lori.
I know who you are. Um...
well, uh, Nate is just in the other room.
We weren't expecting company, so...
Yeah, I'm not actually here to... to talk to Nate.
I'm... I'm so sorry.
I'm the person that invited Nate to the party,
and... and I'm the one who told him to bring Gigi,
so all these videos coming out, that's kind of my fault.
And I've been watching the news and it... it sucks.
I... I really don't wanna see anything bad
happen to Nate or... or Gigi.
Well...
it's a little bit too late for that.
I mean, they're already talking about changing the law tomorrow,
so that we can't have a service monkey.
Look, you... you have to fight.
You can't just let them do that.
And I swear to God, I'm not here to make things worse,
but you just... You gotta promise me
that you're gonna talk to Nate, okay?
You're gonna tell him.
You're gonna tell him that he just can't give up.
Look, just, please, I... I have to go.
Nate.
You are speaking to that Committee tomorrow.
Ten a.m., Capitol building.
Doesn't he have to be invited?
He will be.
Start writing.
Nate. Mr. Gibson. What are you doing here?
Um, I'm testifying to the Committee.
What are you going to say?
I'm gonna say the truth.
Right, thank you. Thank you very much.
Capuchins are highly intelligent and social.
They're among the smartest of all the primates.
And the idea
of trying to make them subservient to humans
is not only unnatural, it's immoral.
Morality isn't the question.
It's whether or not they pose a danger to the public.
Well, that goes back to the bond with the mother
that I talked about.
When you take a baby capuchin away at a young age,
you remove any chance they have for normal development.
And that's a ticking time bomb.
We're not making a decision in a vacuum, are we?
What about the well-being of this young man here?
Don't we owe him a duty of consideration?
Certainly, we have sympathy
for Mr. Gibson and his situation.
We wouldn't be human if we didn't.
But the unfortunate truth here is that this isn't about him.
It's about protecting the public.
Simply put,
no amount of training
can ever remove the risk of attack by a capuchin.
And it's not their fault.
They belong in the wild and not in our homes.
That's why we urge you to pass this bill.
It's the right thing to do
and it's the right time to do it.
Thank you.
Order!
Order, please!
Next on the list is Nate Gibson.
My name is Nate Gibson.
Uh, I'm 23 years old.
I've been in this wheelchair since I was 18.
When I got paralyzed,
I was six weeks away from college.
I ran track, and then I couldn't.
My body was a wreck.
I couldn't feed myself, I couldn't go to the bathroom.
I had nurses take care of me around the clock.
My mind was a wreck, too.
I actually tried to kill myself at one point, but...
luckily my parents were there to save me.
Though, at the time, it did not feel so lucky.
And then one year ago, my life completely changed.
That's when I got Gigi.
She is eight-year-old capuchin,
trained by the amazing people at Cebus.
And they taught her to look after me.
The only reason I can move my arms now
is... is because of Gigi.
But that's not the best part about her.
She gave me a reason to wake up...
every day.
To take care of her.
To, um, pet her, play with her.
Gigi is a vital member of our family.
She provides a service.
She allows me to live my life to the fullest every single day.
And if the idea is to somehow make that against the law...
well, then something is truly, truly wrong.
Mr. Gibson, you heard Ms. Gaines testify, correct?
Yes, Ma'am.
So, you understand our job here
is to protect the health and safety of the public.
Do you think capuchins are dangerous?
No.
But you can see the same statistics we do.
Over 300 people injured with pet monkeys
over the last 20 years in this country.
Gigi's a service animal, not a pet.
No different than a guide dog for a blind person.
But she is different, isn't she?
She's much smarter, isn't that right?
Yes, she... yes, she is. She...
Actually, I had to put a password on my phone
'cause she figured out how to order
pizza on my Domino's app.
But isn't that the problem?
We have these highly intelligent animals
that live in groups in the wild.
We put 'em in cages,
and they become frustrated and bored.
Then they lash out and someone gets hurt.
Then their owners abandon them
and the state has to deal with it.
Well, shouldn't you be going after the owners?
It's like when a parent abuses their kid.
You don't arrest the kid, do you?
And... and... and Gigi wasn't taken from her mother.
She's a rescue.
She wouldn't even be alive
if it weren't for the people at Cebus.
I have to say, I think it's inhumane
to let people put these animals in cages.
Well, what about a zoo? What about a circus?
What about a wildlife park?
Every single one of those is legal.
I suspect if they get their way
we'll outlaw those, too.
That is what I don't understand. Why do they get to say
what is right for an animal they don't even know?
Who died and made them God?
Order please.
Mr. Gibson.
No, like, if you wanna be vegan or whatever,
and not wear leather, that's fine. It's your choice.
But you do not have the right to make that choice for me.
It's not fair.
I think we're getting off track here.
The law already bans gorillas,
orangutans, chimps, and gibbons.
The question is
whether to expand it to include all primates.
Excuse me, Ma'am. Yes, I have read the statute.
It says you can't own
inherently dangerous animals.
Lions, tigers, hippos, bears.
I get that. Their instinct is to hunt and to kill.
You know what Gigi's instinct is?
It's... It's to help.
It's to scratch an itch I can't reach, or to, um...
turn the pages of a book that I'm reading, or... or, uh,
turn the TV off when she thinks I'm watching too much.
She's not some screen that I stare at, or some robot
that I order around to do things for me.
She's... She's a... She is a living, breathing...
creature who has value.
She... she has rights, she has thoughts.
She's far more similar to us than we think.
Um...
I wouldn't be here today if it wasn't for her.
I wouldn't.
And you were right earlier when you said it's not about me.
Like, it's... it's not. It's about something much bigger.
It's about our connection, it's about our interaction,
it's about our evolution.
How much longer?
Oh, I don't know, honey.
Hey. You okay?
Think I went on too... too long?
No, you didn't.
I've never heard most
of that stuff before and I just...
I didn't understand.
It's okay.
You're amazing, and I'm so proud of you.
Thanks.
Two to one in favor of advancing the bill.
Great job.
Excuse me, excuse me.
I just wanted to say congratulations.
I don't really know what all just happened in there, but...
I'm sorry.
It's not personal.
Oh, yes, it is personal.
It's very personal.
And I don't want you to ever forget that.
We will be fighting this.
We will. We will be fighting this.
Thank you so much. Thank you for your service.
Thank you for being here. God bless you.
Okay, let's do it.
Here we go.
Oh, Gigi, I'm gonna miss that.
Gonna miss that a lot.
Gigi, you gotta go. You gotta go.
Yeah, you do.
I know, but you're gonna be okay.
Take care of yourself, Gigi.
It's gonna be okay. You're gonna be all right.
Since when do you cry so much?
Won't do any good, you know.
You have to fix it.
- I can't. - Sure you can.
What... You want me to make turkey chili?
No. It's on the other side.
That's very nice, Mama.
That's not gonna solve anything.
I disagree.
Capuchins are legal in North Carolina.
You... you're frickin' kidding me.
I can't believe it's for sale.
He didn't beat it up too bad.
It needs a little work. I mean,
we'd have to sell the house in Nashville to afford it,
but I think it's worth it. Don't you?
Hello and good afternoon.
Thanks for tuning in to WQDA
for your North Carolina news.
- I'm Elizabeth. - And I'm Paul.
There are many ways to celebrate
the 4th of July tonight,
with fireworks and...
All right.
Gigi, come over.
You know, Mom, I was thinking.
Some point in your life,
you're gonna have to stop worrying about me.
That'll be the day.
What is this?
Thank you.
You're going to college?
Better late than never, right?
I didn't even know you were applying.
Well, that's not the best part.
You know, I got a full ride on tuition,
books. Gigi can come.
They have ramps and everything. Everything's accessible.
I am so proud of you.
Sometimes I wonder what might have happened
if I'd never gotten meningitis.
- Dear God, thank you... - I mean...
Come on, I'm not an idiot.
- That would've been awesome. - Thank you for our family.
And thank you for all the fish...
But in terms of the path I got put on...
I think I made the best of it.
As for Gigi...
It's funny, we thought we were rescuing her.
The truth is,
she gave us the one thing we needed most.
- Hope. - Cheers!