The Listener Episode 1.07 Iris

Toby and Oz arrive on the roof of a skyscraper packed with nervous emergency personnel. Homeless Wally Osterberger teeters on the edge with his eyes closed. Telling everyone they have it under control, Toby and Oz close in for a heart-to-heart with their old pal. Wally wants to know what took the guys so long -- it's hard to convince people you're a wacko nowadays. The shelters are full, and Wally's hoping that Toby and Oz will hook him up with three hots and a cot in the hospital.

At the hospital, Olivia chides Oz and Toby for bringing Wally in for the third time in three months. She agrees to admit Wally, but he'll have to behave, and if beds get scarce he'll have to hit the road. Promising that Wally will keep his hands to himself, the guys get back in the ambulance to respond to a call at the York Hotel: a toddler has fallen out a window. The baby is lying motionless in shrubbery when the guys arrive, as a cop holds back its screaming mother.

Teenager Iris Frost steps out of the crowd. Toby spies glowing light flowing out of Iris' hands and through the baby. When the baby starts breathing, Iris slips back into the crowd. Toby stares at Iris, as Oz tries to understand what just happened. At the hospital, Olivia verifies that the baby is perfectly healthy. When Oz claims that Iris healed the baby, Olivia scoffs. As paramedics, they should know that luck is always a factor, and besides, babies can bounce. Olivia wins Oz to her side, but Toby remains silent, believing what he saw. Although the baby will be released, Olivia intends to keep Wally for tests due to tenderness in his abdomen.

Toby meets with Ray to discuss Iris. Does Ray know her? Ray doesn't know her, but knows her story. Iris' parents are dead, and her Uncle Gavin is her legal guardian. Every time Ray asks for an interview, Gavin turns him down. Toby reasons that if he can read minds there have to be other people who have the "gift," too. He decides to visit Iris at the hotel with Ray's blessing. Charlie appears to ask for a word with Toby, who confesses to Ray that he told her about his gift. Ray is worried, fearing that it will be dangerous for Toby if knowledge of his ability falls into the wrong hands. Toby thinks that if Charlie is to help him use his ability, she's gotta know.

Arriving in the lobby of the York Hotel, Toby spies the doorman being interviewed by several reporters. The doorman pauses in spreading urban legends to point out Toby as a witness, but Toby claims that all uniforms look alike and moves on, pausing to watch Iris' Uncle Gavin give an interview. Claiming that he wants to let today's events speak for themselves, Gavin informs that Iris is taking a break from faith healing, and they're just in town for the holidays.

When Toby spies Iris giving Gavin the stink-eye, he sidles over for a chat. Iris admits Gavin lives for the press. She'd prefer to be home playing video games. When Toby asks how Iris healed the baby, she explains that she focuses on what God hears and channels his divine energy, which activates the power to self heal. When Toby asks what God hears, he gets a flash of Iris' thoughts: lots of people pleading for help at the same time. Toby can relate, and repeats Iris' thoughts back to her.

Finished with his interview, Gavin pulls Iris away from Toby, prompting another flash. A man's voice repeats "She's gonna die!" as someone with a gun pulls Iris away from a beautiful woman, sick in bed. Toby runs back inside to inform Gavin that someone may want to hurt Iris. Toby can't tell Gavin why, but advises him to keep Iris close. Promising that's all he does, Gavin excuses himself. Toby retires to his loft to research Iris. Oz is skeptical of Iris' healing abilities, but Toby is a believer, confessing to seeing the light pour out of Iris and into the baby.

Online, Toby finds a video of Iris healing the beautiful woman from his flash, so he prints out her photo and shows it to Charlie. Charlie still doesn't believe that Toby can read minds, and blows off his offer to prove it again. Besides, she's busy on another case. Toby promises to do more digging and return when he's got something, then proceeds to the hospital to check on Wally. Olivia informs that Wally's liver may be failing, and he doesn't look too good. When Oz asks if they can get him anything, Wally asks for a big box of Cubans, a big bottle of 18-year-old single malt, and a trip to see the Northern Lights. His son said they were beautiful.

Toby returns to the York Hotel to bamboozle desk clerk Marisa into revealing Iris' room number in her thoughts. Iris invites Toby in for a chat. When he asks to know the secret of how Iris does what she does, she admits that he's the first to ask. Usually people either want her to heal them, or to expose her as a fraud. Still, it's a secret. Toby pulls out the photo of the beautiful woman, and is just asking Iris if she recognizes her when Gavin interrupts, kicking Toby out. Iris doesn't give private sessions, or let strangers in her room, even if Toby is a paramedic.

Leaving, Toby overhears Iris complaining. Why can't she have visitors? Isn't this supposed to be a vacation? Gavin tells her it will be, just as soon as she completes one more session. If she didn't want to work, she shouldn't have saved the baby. In the lobby, Toby has another flash and spies the man who's having violent thoughts. When the guy reaches under his jacket and lunges for Iris, Toby pulls the fire alarm and jumps on him. The hotel's security guard jumps on Toby. Iris watches as the guy runs off, and Toby is led away by security.

By the time Charlie arrives on the scene to demand an explanation, Toby is in handcuffs. Whatever Toby does, he better not claim he's a mind reader. Toby reads Charlie's mind, but she's in no mood, so he explains that the guy had a gun, and was giving off intense, murderous thoughts as he lunged at Iris. What was he supposed to do? Toby gives Charlie a description of the guy, telling her to watch the hotel's security video, and she'll be able to see his gun for herself. Toby spies Iris drop a note on the floor as she leaves the lobby, so he bids farewell to Charlie, and scoops up the note, which offers a name: Fanny Petrie.

Back at the hospital, Toby watches Oz visiting with Wally through the observation window. Wally isn't feeling well at all, and denies Oz's conviction that he's a survivor. He didn't survive when his son was killed in a car crash at the age of 17. Charlie calls Toby to inform him that she watched the hotel's security video, and the guy did have a gun, but she ran his image through the database and came up empty. Toby tells Charlie to run the name Fanny Petrie.

Iris shows up at Toby's loft, alone. She admits she treated Fanny, who sent her a postcard from Kyoto, stating that she was cured. So why would a guy who knows Fanny want to hurt Iris? Iris changes the subject. Toby said he wanted to know her secret, but she wants to know his. When Toby refuses to tell, Iris tricks him into revealing he can read her mind. Iris thinks that Toby is another cool mindfreak like herself, but he thinks the whole thing is more scary than cool. Sometimes it's hard to tell what's fantasy and what's reality. Toby used to be able to shut out thoughts, but now it's getting harder. He wishes he could heal people instead of read minds.

On the way out, Iris asks Toby if there's anything she can do for him, so he takes her to see Wally, now unconscious. Watching light flow out of Iris into Wally, Toby shushes Olivia when she stops in. When Wally revives, Iris goes on her way, leaving Olivia to scold Toby for throwing false hope into the mix. It's not so much about Wally, but about Iris -- does Toby want to be responsible for reinforcing Iris' belief that she can heal people?

Iris returns to the hotel, where Gavin scolds her for going out alone. Iris sarcastically points out that if she were really in danger, Gavin should have called police -- which he refuses to do, fearing they will stop "the work." Aching for time off, Iris is tired of Gavin's total control of her life. Charlie informs Toby that Fanny was diagnosed with a rare form of blood cancer two years ago. When nothing worked, her husband Mark -- the guy from the lobby -- sold their house to pay for treatment with Iris. Even though Charlie thinks Iris is a fake, she agrees with Toby. Mark has motive and they need to keep him from harming Iris.

Charlie confronts Gavin at the hotel about the Petries. Gavin counters Charlie's accusations of fraud with the explanation that all monetary gifts are voluntary. Back at the hospital, Olivia has to admit that Wally's levels have improved, and she's feeling cautiously optimistic about his condition. Wally is in a hurry to be released with plans to see the Northern Lights. When Toby reads his mind, he can see Wally enjoying the Lights with his dead son. Toby tells Oz that Wally is where he wants to be. Thinking that means Wally is dead, Oz sadly begins pulling the sheet over his head, but Wally pushes him aside. He's just tired and needs to sleep.

Toby returns to the hotel to find Gavin unconscious on the floor. Meanwhile, Mark pushes Iris through a stairwell at gunpoint. Gavin wouldn't allow him to see Iris. He doesn't blame her, but he's desperate to have her help his wife. Toby revives Gavin and they proceed to the lobby, where Toby receives a distress beacon. Realizing that Iris is at Fanny's bedside in the hotel, Toby hops across the front desk and pushes Marisa out of the way to find the Petrie's room number, as Mark forces Iris to try healing Fanny.

Toby and Gavin bust into the Petrie's hotel room. Reading Fanny's thoughts, Toby tells Mark that she's tired of fighting; it's time to let her go. Toby, Gavin and Iris leave Mark to attend Fanny's death, but they haven't got very far when Mark runs into the hallway with gun drawn. Blaming Gavin for preventing Iris from healing Fanny earlier and thus preventing her death, Mark shoots him in the chest. Iris falls to her knees to heal her uncle, but he pushes her away, refusing her help in favor of "real" medical help in his thoughts. Iris is dumbfounded as Toby gets to work.

Gavin is wheeled out of the hotel on a stretcher. Charlie is pleased to hear that he'll survive -- there are lots of people who need their money back. Toby turns his attention to Iris, who's devastated. Her uncle is a crook, and she's his accomplice -- a phony. Toby insists that Iris is special. After all, didn't she hear her uncle's thoughts when he refused her help? That makes Iris a telepath, just like him. Toby asks Iris to trust him; she's not alone.