Great and Precious Things

Cam chooses a day and time to get his hair cut when he knows that Judge Bradley will also be there. He has Earl, the barber, cover his face with a towel when he finishes so that Judge Bradley will come in and sit—rather than immediately walking out.

Once Judge Bradley is in his chair, Cam unveils himself and tells him that he has something to say. Judge Bradley initially tries to tell him that it’s inappropriate for them to talk so close to the hearing date, but Cam insists that he’s doing it in public, with witnesses, for that reason.

Cam tells Judge Bradley that he loves Willow and that she loves him back. Judge Bradley tries to argue, pointing out that Cam broke her nose in the mine and nearly killed her in the bunkhouse fire. However, Cam counters each of his points, insisting that he has only ever tried to protect her and would never hurt her.

Refusing to let their conversation escalate into an argument, Cam insists that he only has one thing to tell him: Willow loves her father and wants to mend their relationship. Judge Bradley points out that all she has to do is break up with Cam to fix things, but Cam makes it clear that she won’t do that. Unlike Judge Bradley, Cam would never force Willow to choose between them—which is why she’ll choose him over her father. He then tells Judge Bradley that he intends to marry Willow and have children someday and that her father will be part of their lives only if he decides that it’s worth it to fix things with her. Cam then walks out of the barbershop.

Willow arrives at the town hall for the hearing on Arthur’s care. She sees Cam sitting and talking with Simon. She notes how three council members are sitting behind Cam, while a few are behind Xander.

Cam turns and tells Willow that he loves her as Charity jokes about how nauseating they are. Willow’s mother, Hope, then sits, saying that she’s glad Cam and Willow finally admitted their feelings to each other. She notes how she’s the one who distracted her husband the night when Willow retrieved all of Cam’s things, shocking both Willow and Charity. Their father then sits next to them, informing them that he knew Cam’s stuff was there all along but chose not to do anything about it. Willow is shocked that her father is in the crowd instead of on the bench, but before she can ask why, court is called to session. Judge Bradley recused himself and was replaced by Judge Deborah Wilson.

Judge Wilson announces the change to the court, and Milton—Xander’s lawyer—objects. However, she dismisses him, insisting that she’s impartial, which is all that matters. She then informs the court that Arthur has just been seen by a psychiatrist, who deemed that Arthur is capable of testifying.

In the crowd, Willow questions her father on his decision. He assures her that no case is “worth losing [his] daughter over” (312). However, he reminds her that he’s there to support Willow, not Cam.

Both sides give their opening arguments, and then Cam takes the stand. Judge Bradley comments to Willow about how well Cam is doing while facing his own lawyer, but then Milton cross-examines. Milton asks Cam how much money he stands to gain in the event of his father’s death. Surprising nearly everyone in the court, Cam points out that he’ll receive no inheritance. Simon then produces a copy of Arthur’s will from five years ago. After Sullivan’s death, Arthur had it changed so that his entire inheritance goes to Xander. The revelation surprises even Xander.

Milton then asks Cam about his past, including the bunkhouse fire. He produces a copy of the report that declared the fire an accident. However, it also blamed Cam’s “negligence.” Cam admits that he agrees with the report, as he admitted at the time.

When the doctor finishes testifying, Simon asks Cam if he’s sure that he wants his father to testify. Cam hesitates and then insists that it’s his father’s choice. When Simon questions Arthur, he seems lucid and confident. He assures the court that he called Cam and asked for his help and that he wants a DNR.

When Milton cross-examines him, however, Arthur starts to get confused. Milton asks him the names of his nurses and what he had for breakfast, and Arthur is unable to answer. Milton then asks about Sullivan’s death. Simon tries to object, but Judge Wilson overrules him. Cam is devastated that Xander would agree to using Sullivan as a tool in the trial.

On the stand, Arthur admits that he blames Cam for Sullivan’s death. He then struggles to articulate anything else as he becomes fixated on that fact. Cam tries to help him off the stand, but Arthur grows angry and, on his way out, accuses Cam of causing Sullivan’s death. Walt and a nurse help Arthur out of the courtroom.

The courtroom empties out as Judge Wilson retires to make her decision about the case. Cam asks to speak to Xander. He’s outraged by what happened and makes it clear to Xander how angry and disappointed he is. However, Xander argues that he has had his father’s power of attorney for five years—ever since Sullivan died. He accuses Cam of going off to war to be a “hero” and abandoning his family. For the first time, Cam understands Xander’s perspective, noting how he was “so focused on the house of cards crumbling at the top that [he] hadn’t stopped to look at the foundation” (326). He leaves Xander standing in the courtroom.

Outside, Willow comforts Cam. She assures him that she loves him no matter what. She then tells him that his father quoted East of Eden on opening day. Cam realizes that his father—who always insisted that Cam wasted his time reading—cared enough to read Cam’s favorite book.

After four hours, Judge Wilson returns. She rules in favor of Xander, insisting that she can’t change legal guardianship when Xander is clearly competent. However, she urges Xander to reconsider his decision about the DNR, emphasizing Arthur’s right to choose.

On the Fourth of July, the mine is ready to do a soft opening. One of the tunnels was repaired, allowing tourists to explore it. The town hopes to open the other shafts by the next tourist season.

Willow talks to Rose, who tells her about two boys at school whom she likes. She has a hypothesis that nice boys will never be afraid to accept a unicorn gift from a girl. She plans to give them both a pin and, based on how they react, choose the one who is more grateful.

Cam joins Willow, and they watch as Rose approaches the two boys. One puts the unicorn pin in his pocket, while the other immediately clips it to his shirt. They see Rose talk to the one with the pin on his shirt, while the other one looks disappointed.

Rose runs back, excitedly telling Cam and Willow that her decision was easy since only one was happy to get the pin. The boy she rejected angrily comes over and gives back the pin, which Willow takes and gives to Cam so that he can put it on his own shirt. Rose then asks Willow if she’s sad that she lost her own unicorn pin all those years ago. Willow tells her that it was a gift from Cam but that she’s over losing it now after all these years. Rose insists that someone might find it in the mine today.

Willow joins her mother and some other townspeople. She notes how Xander came out of the hearing looking “clean” since people still empathized with him for not wanting to encourage his own father’s death. However, they also ask her how Cam is doing and show their support.

Charity comes up to Willow to ask where Rose is. However, Willow hasn’t seen her in hours since she was supposed to be with Charity. Panicked, she checks the trailer and realizes that Rose’s hard hat is gone. Willow finds Cam and tells him that she thinks Rose went into the mine. They were talking about when Willow fell into a shaft, and she thinks Rose is trying to find Willow’s unicorn pin.

Cam gathers several people and goes to the trailer to look at the blueprints. He directs search parties to look in different areas. However, Arthur interrupts. He insists that the shaft isn’t on the blueprint but that he knows where it is. He tells them that two of the tunnels intersect and that he explained that to Rose back on opening day. Arthur tells Cam to take him into the mine so that he can show him.

Xander vehemently insists that it’s too dangerous for Arthur to go into the mine. Arthur argues, but Xander tells him that he’s legally responsible for making decisions for Arthur. However, Cam interjects, telling Xander that he’s taking Arthur with him and that Xander can’t stop him.

Cam, Arthur, Gid, Willow, and Judge Bradley go into the mine. Cam drives them down the renovated tunnel to where Arthur claims it intersects with another tunnel. When they reach that point, Cam shows Judge Bradley how to operate the train so that he can go back for more search parties. He offers to let Willow go back—since she’s still afraid of the tunnels—but she insists that she’s fine. Judge Bradley then tells Cam to keep Willow safe, assuring him that he trusts him to do so.

Cam, Arthur, Gid, and Willow continue down the tunnel. As they get to where the renovations end, it’s no longer lit, and Willow pushes away her memories from the last time she was there.

As the group goes deeper into the mine, Cam worries about his father’s lucidity as well as Willow’s panic. However, both reassure him that they’re fine. Arthur insists that he saw this area on a map before but that he isn’t sure what happened to the map.

Eventually, they reach a fork. Gid and Arthur go right, while Willow asks Cam to go left. She vaguely remembers the area. Cam and Willow come to a door. As they pull it open, they find Rose on the other side. She’s panicked, telling them that it has no handle on the inside to open it.

Cam and Willow move forward to look over the ledge where Willow fell. It’s a steep incline that drops nearly straight down. To the right is a much longer incline that Cam walked down to get to Willow, unaware of the access door. Cam expresses his guilt over dragging Willow all the way up the incline, but Arthur comes up behind them and assures Cam that he did what was necessary, especially since the door wouldn’t have opened then.

As they talk, Arthur sees Willow’s butterfly pin. However, when he reaches down to get it, the ledge they’re standing on starts to collapse. As Arthur falls, Willow grabs him, and Cam holds onto Willow’s waist. Once they’re steady, Cam grabs Arthur’s hand, allowing Willow to back away. Cam yells at her and Rose to go get Gid to help.

When they’re alone, Arthur asks Cam to let go of his hand. He’s afraid that the ledge will collapse and that Cam will go down with him. He assures Cam that he loves him. He explains to Cam, “In everything but looks, you were me. And Cal…he was the lovable one. The good one” (349), expressing his fear that Cam would turn out like Arthur instead of Cal.

Before Cam can react, Gid shows up behind him and reaches for Arthur’s other hand, but Arthur refuses to reach up and grab it. Cam looks at his father and assures him that it’s his “choice” whether to reach up and grab Gid’s hand. After a pause, Arthur reaches up and takes Gid’s hand, and they pull him back over the ledge.

When everyone’s safe, Cam and Willow embrace. Willow looks over Cam’s shoulder at the door and draws his attention to two spots of blood on it. That moment gives Cam “a knowledge [he] never wanted” as he realizes where the map is (351), and he’s overcome with rage.

When the group reaches the renovated part of the tunnel, Judge Bradley hugs Willow and thanks Cam for bringing Willow and Rose back. They then exit the tunnel, where Charity, distraught, embraces Rose. Before Willow can stop him, Cam stalks over to Xander, who is giving an update to a camera crew and a large group of gathered tourists and townspeople.

Cam pushes Xander against the wall. He accuses him of taking Willow into the mine, turning off his headlamp, and closing the door on her in the shaft. Xander initially denies it, but Willow intervenes and says that she remembers. In the dark, she tried to back up and fell down the incline. Xander finally admits what he did, insisting that he was only 14 and made a mistake. However, Cam then accuses him of setting fire to the bunkhouse. He saw him that night with a fire hose.

Xander admits that he has harbored resentment toward Cam for years. When they were younger, despite what Cam did, he always came out as a hero. Then, he joined the Army, where he earned medals, and came back to “rescue” their father, Willow, and even the town. Xander planned to go back and save Willow in the mine, but Cam did it first; Xander also planned to put out the fire, not realizing that Willow was in the bunkhouse. As Xander talks, Cam realizes that “it [i]s all about perception” for Xander since he is “so consumed with trying to look like a hero” (356).

Through it all, Cam has Xander pinned against a wall. Willow thinks that Cam will hit him, but Judge Bradley punches Xander in the face first. Gid and Tim immediately restrain them both, arresting Xander for arson and Judge Bradley for assault. However, the judge is unconcerned, insisting that it was worth it. As they take Xander away, Cam reminds them that Xander still has a microphone attached to his shirt. Willow realizes that thousands of people heard his confession.

Cam goes to visit Sullivan’s grave for the first time since he died. He tells him that he hopes Sullivan is watching over him and that he isn’t too upset about Willow. Arthur then comes up and joins him.

Cam tells his father the story of Sullivan’s death for the first time. He emphasizes that he made the call but didn’t know he was choosing Sullivan’s platoon. When he finishes, they’re both crying. Arthur assures Cam that he doesn’t blame him for Sullivan’s death—it was just “easier” because, deep down, he blamed himself, too. He tells Cam that they all had choices and that their choices all affected Sullivan. Sullivan chose to join the military, Arthur encouraged him to do so, and Cam sent in his squad. He reminds Cam what their mother once said: “You’re free to make your own choices, but you’re not free from the consequences of that choice” (364).

Later, Cam goes over to Xander’s house. Xander is out on probation but likely faces jailtime. When Xander answers the door, he asks Cam if he’s there to “gloat.” Cam realizes that Xander still doesn’t understand that it isn’t about looking like a hero or impressing people. Cam again asks Xander about their father’s DNR, but Xander still refuses to sign it. Cam argues that it isn’t about dying for Arthur, but rather the fact that he wants to choose for himself.

Cam tells Xander that he has a manilla envelope containing genetic test results. After he found out that their father had Alzheimer’s disease and that it was genetic, he got himself, Xander, and Sullivan all tested, using baby teeth that their mother kept. Cam reveals that he doesn’t have the gene, but Sullivan did. He gives Xander the results and tells him that he can check for himself to see if he has it. He then leaves. A week later, Cam receives paperwork from Xander signing over Arthur’s guardianship and power of attorney to him.

Cam finds Willow in the library. He tells her that he doesn’t have his father’s Alzheimer’s gene. She tells him that she would’ve made the best out of however many years they had anyway, but she’s relieved to know. Willow then reveals that Walt called about Xander’s seat on the Historical Society Council. He wants Cam to take it. Cam groans, but Willow insists that he should consider it if he wants to help the town. As Cam embraces her, he thinks about how his choices might not have always been good, but he doesn’t “regret a single one of them” because they led him to this moment with Willow (368).