Episode #109
The Day After #108
TEASER
INT: SKATING RINK
AFTERNOON
JASON and COURTNEY step off the ice, both sweating from a strenuous practice.
COURTNEY: Okay, I’m beat.
JASON: Me too.
He takes a long drink of water from the bottle in his hand.
COURTNEY: Do you wanna do something tonight?
JASON: What did you have in mind?
With a devilish grin, he wraps his arms around her.
COURTNEY: I was thinking more along the lines of a movie or something, buddy.
JASON: Oh. Yeah, sure. Do you wanna call Lauren and Alex and invite them
to come along?
COURTNEY: I don’t know what a great idea that is, Jason.
***
INT: AIRPLANE
AFTERNOON
Not far from King’s Bay, DON and SALLY sit side-by-side in the plane.
His head is dropped to the side, his eyes partially shut, as he tries to
get some rest despite his throbbing headache.
SALLY: Is your head still bothering you?
DON: You might say that. Jeez, will this thing just go away already?
SALLY: You know what the doctor said: You’ve got to try to eliminate
as much stress as possible from your life.
DON: I have to say, having you around hasn’t been much help.
SALLY: What? Don, without me you’d never have even made it onto this
plane!
DON: I know. What I mean is, your presence on this trip has really complicated
things with Helen.
SALLY: I know, and I’m sorry about that.
Her mind can’t help but giggle at this lie, but she maintains a cool
exterior.
SALLY: But please, just try to rest. It’s the only way you’re going
to get better.
DON: I don’t think I’m gonna be able to do that until everything
with Helen is all right again.
***
INT: TIM & CLAIRE’S APT. (LIVING ROOM)
AFTERNOON
In response to a knock on the door, CLAIRE enters from the kitchen. She casts
a glance at TRAVIS and SAMANTHA, who are in the middle of the floor, playing
with their toys. She pulls the door open and finds RYAN on the other side.
CLAIRE: Ryan? I thought we’d agreed that it’s best if we’re
not around each other anymore.
RYAN: We did ... But first, there’s something I need from you.
ACT ONE
INT: SKATING RINK
AFTERNOON
JASON gives COURTNEY a puzzled look.
JASON: Why? What’s wrong?
COURTNEY: Nothing. I was just thinking ... You know, we could use a little
time alone together.
She wraps her arms around his neck and draws him closer.
JASON: I can’t say I mind that idea.
He plants a kiss on her lips.
COURTNEY: Besides, if they came with us ... I would definitely be distracted
the whole night.
***
INT: TIM & CLAIRE’S APT. (LIVING ROOM)
AFTERNOON
CLAIRE and RYAN stand facing each other from opposite sides of the open doorway.
CLAIRE: What do you want?
RYAN: There’s ... well, there’s this picture you’ve got.
CLAIRE: Which one?
RYAN: Actually, I don’t know if you’ve still got it. Do you remember
the time we went to the pumpkin patch?
A warm laugh overtakes her.
CLAIRE: And we both fell in the mud? Yeah.
RYAN: I remembered that you wound up with the two framed pictures from that
day. Do you have them ... or know where they are?
CLAIRE: Why, do you want one?
RYAN: I’d like one, yeah. It’ll be a nice remembrance.
His tone is now more somber than polite.
RYAN: So, do you have them?
ACT TWO
INT: SKATING RINK
AFTERNOON
There is now a different look on JASON’s face -- one of concern. COURTNEY
strokes the side of his head reassuringly.
COURTNEY: Don't worry. It’s nothing serious.
Jason is still skeptical. Could Alex have anything to do with this?
JASON: Then what is it?
COURTNEY: Lauren. She’d probably drive me nuts.
After letting out a sigh of relief, Jason resumes looking confused.
JASON: Why do you say that?
COURTNEY: She’s ...
She hesitates.
JASON: She’s what?
COURTNEY: She’s got this thing for Alex.
JASON: Really?
COURTNEY: Yeah. She’s totally nervous around him now. Like when we were
watching the movie the other night, she was trying to get his attention the
whole time.
JASON: Hmm ...
The expression on his face is not unfamiliar to her.
COURTNEY: What are you thinking now?
***
INT: AIRPLANE
AFTERNOON
SALLY reaches over and begins rubbing DON’s temples.
SALLY: Does that help any?
Despite the fact that it does, Don can’t help but feel uncomfortable.
DON: No, not really.
She pulls her hands away.
SALLY: Oh. The Advil didn’t work either?
DON: I’ve been taking it for days and it’s hardly helped.
SALLY: I’m just glad you were able to get out of bed for this flight.
You’ve been in pretty bad shape lately.
DON: That’s why it’s important I get home to my family as quickly
as possible. I’ve got to get everything in order.
SALLY: You mean with Helen?
DON: Yeah ... and everything else. Papers and documents and whatnot.
SALLY: Why?
He suddenly lowers his voice, as if he’s got a secret to tell.
DON: I’m afraid I don’t have much time left, Sally.
ACT THREE
INT: TIM & CLAIRE’S APT. (LIVING ROOM)
AFTERNOON
CLAIRE motions for RYAN to come inside the apartment.
CLAIRE: Actually, I do. There’s a box of old pictures and stuff in my
closet ... Just let me run and get it.
RYAN: Thanks.
As Claire heads off to the bedroom, Ryan steps inside. He watches TRAVIS
and SAMANTHA playing on the floor, blissfully unaware of all the troubles
of the world. If only things could be like that again, Ryan wonders. If only
I could have in my life what those kids have in theirs -- Claire.
***
INT: AIRPLANE
AFTERNOON
SALLY looks at DON in panic.
SALLY: What?!?
DON: I don’t know how much longer I’m going to be around.
SALLY: What do you mean?
DON: I’m worried. These headaches and this fatigue -- they’re not
going away.
SALLY: Like the doctor said, it’s stress-related. You’ve just got
to calm yourself down.
DON: That’s not going to happen, Sally. Look at everything that’s
happened -- first Courtney went through the nightmare of being attacked,
then she was nearly killed, I fell off that ladder, you and Alex both came
back into my life, and now Helen doesn’t even trust me! There’s
no end to the calamities all around me!
SALLY: Don’t say that, Don. We’re going to calm you down and get
your health back up to normal.
DON: I just hope that’s possible.
Sally turns and looks out the window. I’m going to be the one who’s
there to nurse you back to health, she thinks with a grin.
ACT FOUR
INT: SKATING RINK
AFTERNOON
JASON smiles, aware that COURTNEY knows what he’s thinking.
JASON: Why don’t we help get the two of them together? I mean, it would
do Lauren good to be with a guy she really likes ...
COURTNEY: ... and Alex is a really nice guy. But what do you have in mind?
JASON: I don’t know. I just think it would be cool if we give Lauren
a little hand.
COURTNEY: Definitely cool.
Her demeanor suddenly becomes much more pensive.
COURTNEY: There’s just one thing that worries me.
***
INT: AIRPORT
AFTERNOON
The plane is now unloading. Passengers filter out through the gate, searching
the crowd of people for whomever has come to meet them. Others, like DON
and SALLY, simply continue walking.
SALLY: I’m going to go see Alex. Do you want to come?
DON: I’d like to ... but I think it would be better if I went home and
got some sleep.
SALLY: You’re probably right. Maybe we’ll come visit you tomorrow,
okay?
Don wants to say no, but his urge to see the boy he once thought might be
his son is too great.
DON: Sure. That would be nice.
Soon they arrive at the baggage claim and stand side-by-side as they wait
for their luggage to appear.
SALLY: Just promise me that you’ll relax once you get home. It would
kill me if anything happened to you because of this trip.
DON: I’ll try ... but I’ve got to deal with Helen first.
ACT FIVE
INT: SKATING RINK
AFTERNOON
JASON is curious as to what problem he has overlooked that COURTNEY has seen.
JASON: Huh?
COURTNEY: Alex doesn’t even live here, Jay. What if he goes back to
school --?
JASON: I doubt he will. It's already like mid-September!
COURTNEY: Right.
JASON: So if it doesn’t work out or whatever, fine. I just think that
after she’s been such a great friend to us, we owe this to Lauren.
COURTNEY: I guess so.
She jumps up into his arms.
COURTNEY: This is gonna be fun!
JASON: Let’s not get carried away. We’re not gonna do anything
over-the-top.
COURTNEY: Fine. I just wanna see my best friend get a shot at happiness.
***
INT: CHASE HOME (KITCHEN)
AFTERNOON
The sound of the front door opening and closing echoes through the silent
house. After dropping his bags near the front door, DON walks into the kitchen
cautiously.
DON: Helen? Courtney? Is anyone home?
The silence is eerily disturbing, and Don finds himself with shivers running
up and down his spine. Something isn’t quite right, he’s certain.
He peeks around the house, but determines that nothing seems out of place.
Once he returns to the kitchen, however, something catches his eye -- something
on the table. It is an envelope with his name on it.
Don rushes over to the table, fighting his own fatigue, and removes the note
from the envelope. Tears well up in his eyes and anger inside his body as
he reads it:
"Don, I got your message that you’d be home today. Please gather
your things as quickly as you can. I’ll be home from work at 6:00 and
I’d rather you weren’t here when I get home."
Painfully, he reads the all-too-familiar signature of his wife at the bottom
of the note.
***
INT: TIM & CLAIRE’S APT. (LIVING ROOM)
AFTERNOON
RYAN looks around the room, keeping a watchful and somewhat mournful eye
on TRAVIS and SAMANTHA, who continue to play. What a home Claire has built
for herself -- what a life, he realizes somewhat bitterly. She’s grown
so much ... She’s turned into a woman who possesses the traits he loved
in her as a girl and so much more. It’s going to be hard to leave her
behind, he knows, but he also can’t bring himself to disobey her wishes
It’s kind of funny, he thinks to himself with a smirk. I can bring myself
to lie to her about my business, about my being involved in the mob with
my dad, but if she asks me to do something like walk out of her life forever,
I do it without hesitation. Just for her.
Suddenly he is pulled from his thoughts by something shocking. CLAIRE emerges
from the bedroom, holding the framed photo.
CLAIRE: Here, I found it--
RYAN: Claire, grab the kids and get out of here!
CLAIRE: What?
He points to the flames ripping across the carpet, straight out of the bedroom.
RYAN: This place is on fire!
END OF EPISODE #109
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