Episode #99
A Few Days After #98

TEASER

INT: MOTEL ROOM
MORNING

ALEX rolls out of bed, weariness written all over his face. In spite of this, he has been awake for hours, yet remained lying in the bed. Lately he has been finding himself sleeping less and less.

What could be going on between his mother and Don Chase? It certainly sounds suspicious, he has to admit, but he really can’t picture anything going on between them ... unless, of course, it’s been going on for years. Still, something still doesn’t sound right about this scenario. No, he’s convinced that it’s more complicated than it seems.

Just as he has begun to walk towards the bathroom for a shower, the telephone begins to ring. Who could it be? No one but Helen Chase has this number. Intrigued, he answers the phone.

ALEX: Hello?

He listens for a moment, his eyes going wide as he hears the familiar voice on the other end.

ALEX: Mom?

***

INT: CHASE HOME (KITCHEN)
MORNING

In her robe, HELEN is mixing up a bowl of batter to make pancakes when she hears the front door quickly open and close. Soon after, her daughter, COURTNEY, enters the kitchen. A curious look curls up her face as she spies her mother stirring the bowl of batter, the ingredients spread all over the counter. Helen looks up, obviously quite distracted, and finally catches sight of her daughter.

HELEN: Oh, Court! You’re back already?

COURTNEY: Yeah, we finished skating early. I thought I’d come home and get clearned up before we go out later.

HELEN: You and Jason?

COURTNEY: And Lauren. We’re gonna go spend a day running around town doing absolutely nothing.

HELEN: Sounds like fun.

COURTNEY: Mom, can I ask what in the world you’re doing?

HELEN: I’m making pancakes. What does it look like I’m doing?

COURTNEY: When was the last time you made pancakes, when I was like ten?

Helen shrugs the question off.

COURTNEY: Is something the matter? I mean, besides the obvious?

Helen puts down the whisk.

HELEN: Actually, yes.

***

INT: FISHER HOME (LIVING ROOM)
MORNING

Early though it may be, the Fisher household is already jumping. Bill has gone to work; Paula is in the kitchen, making breakfast; and Jason has gone to the skating rink. MOLLY and DANIELLE are in the living room, with a number of dresses and other accessories spread out all over the room. Molly holds up a spaghetti-strapped black dress.

MOLLY: How about this one?

DANIELLE: I like it ...

MOLLY: But?

DANIELLE: I don’t know.

MOLLY: Really?

DANIELLE: Throw it in the "maybe" pile.

MOLLY: The "maybe" pile consists of every dress I’ve owned since I was 13!

She puts the black dress on the couch with several other dresses. Just then, the front door opens and JASON enters, back from the rink.

JASON: Hey, Danielle. What are you two up to so early?

He takes a look around the room.

JASON: Or maybe I don’t wanna know.

DANIELLE: I’m just helping Molly pick out dresses for Brent’s charity dinner.

JASON: For Brent’s what?!?

Jason’s eyeballs nearly leap out of their sockets.

ACT ONE

INT: CHASE HOME (KITCHEN)
MORNING

COURTNEY looks at HELEN, interested but also sympathetic.

COURTNEY: What happened now? Is it about work?

HELEN: Actually, it’s about your dad.

COURTNEY: Huh?

HELEN: He left me a message on the answering machine last night.

COURTNEY: That’s great!

HELEN: I suppose it is, but I don’t know what to do. What am I going to say if I call him?

COURTNEY: Tell him you miss him, tell him you love him ... Just try to clear all of this up!

HELEN: But what if there isn’t anything to clear up, Courtney?

COURTNEY: You’re gonna have to face him eventually, Mom ...

HELEN: I guess you’re right.

She picks up the telephone, glancing at the number she copied down onto a slip of paper as she dials.

***

INT: MOTEL ROOM
MORNING

ALEX is speaking on the phone with his mother, SALLY, who is calling from her hotel room in France.

SALLY: Yes, Alex, it’s me.

ALEX: How did you get this number?

SALLY: I’ve got my ways. So how are you doing?

ALEX: Fine, I guess. Mom, I’m in King’s Bay right now. We’ve got big trouble.

SALLY: I know. I was in the room when you spoke to Don on the phone the other day.

***

INT: FISHER HOME (LIVING ROOM)
MORNING

DANIELLE doesn’t understand JASON’s wild reaction to her explanation. MOLLY stands behind Danielle, pleading with her brother silently not to say anything else.

DANIELLE: What’s wrong?

JASON: Nothing. You just caught me a little off-guard. What charity dinner is this?

DANIELLE: Brent’s taking his old job on the police force back. He has this charity dinner thing to attend tonight, but Sarah’s not here, so he needs someone to go with him.

JASON: Molly, you can’t do this!

ACT TWO

INT: MOTEL ROOM
MORNING

ALEX suddenly feels queasy. So it is true after all ... Don has definitely gone off to Europe with his mother. SALLY continues talking.

SALLY: Alex, how much does Don’s wife know?

ALEX: About your little rendezvous, you mean?

SALLY: Yes. What does she know?

ALEX: Well, she knows you and Don are together.

SALLY: How?!?

ALEX: I called the airline. They told me you’d bought two tickets -- one for you and one for Don.

SALLY: How did she react – Helen, I mean?

ALEX: She’s crushed!

He can sense the pleased reaction his mother is having, even an ocean away.

ALEX: Mom, how can you do this? What is wrong with you?

SALLY: With me? Nothing! Helen Chase is the one who has problems, if her husband is willing to just run off with another woman!

***

INT: CHASE HOME (KITCHEN)
MORNING

HELEN is waiting to be connected, with the telephone cradled between her shoulder and her ear. COURTNEY stands by in discomfort. What is this is the end of her parents’ marriage? Part of her wants to rip the phone out of the wall, to delay this call as long as possible ... But another part of her knows that no matter what she does, this issue will have to be faced at some point.

Finally Helen hears a click on the other end. DON has picked up the phone in his hotel room.

DON: Hello?

HELEN: Don!

She is surprised by her own joyous reaction to hearing his voice, but quickly suppresses it.

DON: I’m so glad you called me back ... I was beginning to think I wouldn’t hear from you.

HELEN: No, I got the message. So, uh, how are things?

Courtney shoots her mom an intimidating look, trying to spur her into asking the "important" questions.

DON: Not so good, I’m afraid.

HELEN: Why not?

DON: Just suffice it say I wish you were here with me.

HELEN: Oh, Don ...

Courtney again gives her mother "the look."

HELEN: Speaking of that, exactly who is there with you? Sally, perhaps?

Don nearly gags at hearing his wife say this.

***

INT: FISHER HOME (LIVING ROOM)
MORNING

MOLLY is again fearful that her feelings for Brent will be exposed. DANIELLE is confused, but JASON is able to cover his outburst.

JASON: I mean, isn’t it kinda weird to go to this thing with him? He’s married to our sister.

MOLLY: I know, but ... he needed someone to go with him.

DANIELLE: It would be kinda gross if he took me, Jason.

JASON: Granted, but ...

He wants to protest, but knows it is better to wait until he and Molly have some privacy.

DANIELLE: But what?

JASON: Nothing. Have fun with this ... I’m gonna go get some breakfast.

He heads off towards the kitchen, wanting to grab Molly and shake her. How can she do this? It’s just asking for trouble ...

ACT THREE

INT: CHASE HOME (KITCHEN)
MORNING

COURTNEY watches in agony as HELEN confronts DON over the telephone.

DON: W-What do you mean?

HELEN: Sally’s son was here the other day, remember?

DON: Yeah ...

HELEN: Well, he’s been keeping in touch. It turns out that he called the airline she works for, and they told him that she bought tickets for both you and herself to fly to Paris.

DON: Helen, I can explain.

HELEN: Then go ahead.

DON: I mentioned my desire to go on this trip to Sally. She could only get me one ticket. But she thought it would be nice to take a little trip herself, so she came to Paris too.

HELEN: So she’s there with you?

DON: She’s here, yes, but not with me. I haven’t even seen her since the flight.

Helen breathes a sigh of relief. She flashes Courtney a triumphant, thrilled look, and they share a mini-hug.

***

INT: MOTEL ROOM
MORNING

ALEX feels a surge of anger running through his body as he listens to his mother, SALLY, on the telephone.

ALEX: Mom! What is wrong with you?

SALLY: Nothing! I’m just saying ... It’s obviously not a sign of a healthy marriage.

ALEX: I can’t believe this ...

SALLY: Can’t believe what?

ALEX: That Don would just run out on Courtney and Helen like this!

SALLY: To be honest, it surprised me, too. But he suggested we go off on a little romantic getaway, and I -- I couldn’t help myself. I’m still in love with him, Alex.

ALEX: And he’s just willing to forgive and forget?

SALLY: Apparently.

ALEX: All right. Look, Mom, I should be going. I’ve got a couple of things to do today.

SALLY: Really?

ALEX: Yeah ... I have plans.

SALLY: Okay. I’ll talk to you later, hon.

ALEX: Okay. Bye, Mom.

SALLY: Bye.

They both hang up their phones.

Alex jumps up off the bed, where he had seated himself, and rushes to get showered and dressed. He cannot wait to get to the Chase home -- bad news though this may be, at least he’ll have something definite to tell Helen about.

***

INT: FISHER HOME (KITCHEN)
MORNING

PAULA and JASON are seated across from each other at the kitchen table, eating breakfast as beams of sun shine into the kitchen and lay themselves up against the wall. Paula immediately recognizes the downcast look in her son’s face.

PAULA: Is something the matter, Jason?

JASON: Yeah. I’m worried ...

PAULA: About what? You’re not having problems with Courtney, are you?

JASON: No, no. It’s Brent -- Brent and Sarah.

PAULA: I know. This whole situation has been bothering me.

JASON: Mom, how could Sarah just run out on Brent like that? Doesn’t her marriage mean anything to her?

PAULA: Of course it does. Sarah just believes in this guy she’s helping, I suppose.

JASON: Enough to risk her marriage?

PAULA: Plenty of married couples have problems because their careers conflict with their personal lives. I don’t think she’s risking her marriage, Jason.

JASON: I don’t know about that, Mom. Maybe things have just gotten beyond Sarah's control.

ACT FOUR

INT: FISHER HOME (LIVING ROOM)
MORNING

DANIELLE and MOLLY are still deliberating over the assortment of outfits.

MOLLY: Where did I get all this crap?

DANIELLE: K-Mart?

She says this with a smirk, and it evokes the desired laugh from Molly.

MOLLY: Shut up.

DANIELLE: Hey, what was with your brother?

MOLLY: I don’t know. I think he’s just concerned about Brent and Sarah.

DANIELLE: Yeah, well, so am I. I can’t stand to watch my brother get hurt like this.

MOLLY: I know the feeling ...

***

INT: FISHER HOME (KITCHEN)
MORNING

JASON’s last comment has intrigued PAULA.

PAULA: How do you figure?

JASON: Because ... It can’t be healthy for any marriage if the husband is left alone for weeks on end, while his wife goes off gallavanting around with another man.

PAULA: I see your point. But still, I think Sarah and Brent are strong enough to survive this.

JASON: I hope you’re right.

Jason leans back in his chair, taking a sip of his coffee. He really does hope his mother is right: If Brent and Sarah don’t make it out of this intact, then something is bound to happen with Molly -- and that could definitely rip the Fisher family apart.

***

PARIS, FRANCE
INT: HOTEL ROOM
MIDDAY

DON is still on the phone with HELEN. He hates lying to her, but how can he explain that Sally just tagged along and he’s been fighting her off ever since -- not to mention the fact that he has to keep around to help him return a stolen painting.

DON: I’m sorry to scare you like that, Helen.

HELEN: No, Don, I’m sorry for accusing you of something like that. I should’ve had faith in you.

PARIS, FRANCE
EXT: HOTEL ROOM
MIDDAY

SALLY approaches Don’s room. She pauses outside for a moment, caught in thought. She had been fearful of having any contact with King’s Bay; she had thought it would be better to let everyone draw their own conclusions, but maybe this could turn out to be better. Alex had believed what she’d said.

SALLY: He believes Don and I are having an affair! Oh, this is too good! It won’t be long before Helen believes the same thing ...

Sally knocks on Don’s door with their "secret code" knock, two rapid hits followed by two slow ones.

PARIS, FRANCE
INT: HOTEL ROOM
MIDDAY

Inside, DON has heard Sally’s knock. He covers the phone.

DON: Come in!

HELEN: Who was that?

DON: Room service. I’m starving.

As much as it pains him to lie to her about all this, he knows it’s for the best.

The door opens and SALLY comes in.

SALLY: Don, I just talked to Alex--

Don raises a finger to his lips to silence her, but it is too late. She has been heard.

INT: CHASE HOME (KITCHEN)
MORNING

COURTNEY watches as HELEN’s face suddenly fills with anger.

HELEN: That’s her, isn’t it, Don?

DON: Helen, I can explain!

HELEN: Don’t bother!

She slams down the telephone, tears welling up in her eyes.

END OF EPISODE #99

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