Dr. Earl W. Tarr.

Captain Jones sent me.

l consult with him from time to time on juvenile cases.

May l come in?

Yes, thank you for coming.

l was beginning to think he didn't believe me.

Well, l'm here now, and we'll put all that to rights.

Where's the boy?

Ah! There he is.

A handsome young man.

He has your eyes, doesn't he?

And a little bit of the nose.

Very fit, in spite of all his travails.

A very resilient boy you've got here, Mrs. Collins.

l thought you were here to help me.

Well, l am.

Captain Jones said that the boy had been through some severe physical changes

and asked me to drop in on him

to reassure you in your time of motherly concern.

My motherly concern is not for him because he's not my son.

Now, statements like that will hardly help the boy's self-esteem,

now will they?

Captain Jones said something about a change in height?

Yes.

Come.

Against the wall.

CHRISTINE: He's three inches shorter.

Ah, well...

(STAMMERING) Hardly a mystery, Mrs. Collins.

We've known for some time that trauma can affect the growth of children.

Given the stress of the past five months,

his spine may have actually shrunk.

lt's uncommon, but it's within the realm of possibility.

And circumcision?

Very likely his abductor thought it appropriate.

After all, circumcision is hygienically sound.

Must have been quite traumatic at the time.

No wonder he's submerged the memory.

l...

You see, there's a perfectly sound medical explanation for all of this.

But it's right for you to raise the questions.

You need to be apprised of all changes the lad went through

during his absence.

Wouldn't l know whether or not he's my son?

l'm the mother.

Which means you're in no position to be objective.

You are looking through the prism of extreme emotion at a boy

who has changed from what you remember.

He isn't the same boy that left here.

Just as a boy that goes off to war and then returns

is not the same anymore.

And a mother's heart, driven by intuition and emotion,

sees these changes and rebels,

insists that this isn't your son.

Doesn't change the facts.

l'm willing to put my theory to the test of objectivity, Mrs. Collins.

Are you?

CHRISTINE: It Ă­s absolutely outrageous!