Jake's Question, "Who's responsible for this girl?"

When Dr. Jake Houseman came to treat Penny Johnson in her cabin, Johnny Castle indicated that he was "responsible for this girl" (beginning at 0:55 in the following video clip).

Jake Houseman
Excuse me. Excuse me! Everybody clear out, please.

OK. Yes, I know that hurts. We're gonna take care of that.

Who's responsible for this girl?

Johnny Castle
I am. Please, is she ...?

Billy Kostecki
Doc, thanks a lot.

Johnny Castle
Dr. Houseman, I don't know how to thank you, to tell you ...

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Jake had seen Penny working at the hotel. He knew that she was an adult who worked for her living. When he came into her cabin, he saw that she was conscious and able to speak.

Why, then, did Jake immediately ask who was "responsible" for Penny? There were at least two reasons:

1) Since the hotel employed her, the hotel might have some rules about the provision of medical treatment to its employees.

2) Since Penny might lose consciousness soon, someone might have to approve, on Penny's behalf, Jake's decisions or recommendations.

As an experienced doctor, Jake knew that he was in a situation that might involve his own potential liability if Penny's condition turned worse after he began treateding her.

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However, there was another consideration that motivated Jake to ask his question. While his daughter Baby was bringing him to the cabin, she surely informed him that Penny was suffering the consequences of an illegal abortion. Given that information, Jake began to suspect whether Baby had asked him for $250 for that purpose.

Jake did not voice his suspicion to Baby right away. Rather, he waited to learn the situation in the cabin. If he learned who was responsible for Penny's abortion, then he might get a good clue about what Baby did with the $250 he gave her.

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Johnny identified himself as the responsible person in two senses.

1) Johnny, as the chief of the Entertainment Staff, was the official supervisor of Penny. For example, when Neil Kellerman, in the previous week, had wondered about Penny's absence from the dance in the gazebo, Neil had asked Johnny about Penny's whereabouts and had admonished Johnny to discipline her.

2) Johnny, as Penny's friend, had pressured Penny to get an abortion. Johnny had urged Penny to accept Baby's $250, and Johnny's cousin Billy Kostecki had arranged the abortion.

From the second sense, Jake deduced correctly that Johnny was involved -- was "responsible" -- in Penny's getting an abortion.

Neither Jake nor Johnny meant to communicate here about who had made Penny pregnant. Jake simply jumped to that conclusion because he -- like many others -- assumed that Johnny and Penny were a romantic couple.

Jake probably assumed also that Baby had been manipulated by Johnny and Penny to ask him for the money. Jake still had no idea that Baby alone had initiated her request for the money.

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As Jake and Baby left the cabin together, Jake voiced his conclusion that Baby gave his $250 to Johnny and Penny for the abortion.

Jake Houseman
Was that what my money paid for?

Baby Houseman
I'm sorry. I never meant to lie to you.

Jake Houseman
You're not the person I thought you were, Baby. I'm not sure who you are. I don't want you to have anything to do with those people again.

Baby Houseman
But can’t I just explain?

Jake Houseman
Nothing! You're to have nothing to do with them ever again! I won't tell your mother about this. Right now I'm going to bed. And take that stuff off your face before your mother sees you!

Baby intended to explain:

* Robbie had made Penny pregnant

* Robbie refused to help Penny pay for an abortion

* Penny did not have enough money to pay for an abortion.

* Penny could get an abortion quickly if she got the money.

That explanation would have been truthful, even if it had not satisfied Jake.

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Right after her father's prohibition, Baby went directly to Johnny's cabin in order to carry out her plan to seduce him. Baby was acting recklessly in regard to her father. She figured that her father eventually might find out that she was having sex with Johnny. No matter, she went and had sex with him.

Baby's private time with Johnny perhaps also gave her the opportunity to get their story straight in case Jake asked more questions.

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Neither Johnny nor Baby ever corrected Jake's mistaken assumption that Penny had become pregnant from Johnny. Baby easily could have corrected her father about that when she talked with him later -- in her "I'm sorry I lied" monologue.

Baby avoided talking with her father about who Penny was having sex with because Baby did not want any such conversation to get around to the question of who she herself was having sex with.

Baby Houseman
By the way, Daddy, Johnny did not have sex with Penny. She got pregnant from Robbie.

Jake Houseman
Thanks for correcting me about that, Baby. By the way, did Johnny have sex with you?

Baby avoided any such conversation with her father about the situation. She limited her conversation to her lying about why she asked for the money. She avoided talking about who was having sex with whom.