Message-Id: <9305191615.AA02994@hardrock> Sender: mav@hardrock-e1 Date: Wed, 19 May 1993 09:17:00 -0800 To: alt-ql-creative@cisco.com From: mav@isi.com Subject: And A Child Shall Lead Them - Act II, Part I ACT II, PART I FADE IN: INT. QL DELIVERY ROOM - DAY The couple are basking in this 'blessed event.' Donna holds her precious child, while Sam beams at them both, gently stroking his child's cheek. SAM Good morning little fellow. (beat - with a bit of panic) Name. Name. He needs a name. DONNA We already named him. Sam gives her that 'Swiss-cheesed' look. DONNA (continuing) On our honeymoon. Sunrise on the island sands. You said I could name the girls and you, the boys. We chose the names right then. SAM I don't remember. (beat) No wait. Jamaica. You wore the old cowboy hat Tom gave you as a wedding present...How can I remember that? How do I remember Tom? (tapping his head) It's like a floodgate of new memories. Donna kisses him and when he kisses back, she giggles. SAM What? DONNA It's nothing. She begins giggling again. SAM Tell me. You can't possibly be having mood swings now. DONNA And I suppose you know all about mood swings? SAM (assertive) Yes, I do. I was pregnant once too, y'know. DONNA Oh, yeah. (beat) It's just that - you're Al. SAM What? DONNA You've leaped into Al. SAM So? DONNA When we kiss, I tell myself it's you, but I can only see Al. SAM (imitating Al/Groucho with a cigar) Then close your eyes, sweetheart. They kiss again. SAM (continuing) Better? DONNA Excellent. Sam takes the baby from her, soaking in the sight of this new creation. SAM John Albert Beckett. DONNA See you do remember sweet little John Albert Beckett. SAM Wait a second. Al. If you see Al...Oh my God! Donna! The baby's bonding with the image of Al! He gives the baby back to Donna and sits down hard. SAM (continuing) This is terrible. Baby John's going to think his dad is... is...Al! He is horrified at the thought. Donna laughs at her husbands distress. DONNA Sam. Sam. Don't you remember? Children see the real you. He brightens a bit. DONNA (continuing) Besides, I think Al would make a wonderful father. SAM Al? To Hugh Heffner, maybe. DONNA No, I'm serious, Sam. Al's been through so much, learned so much. Sam smiles at the thought of Al with children. SAM (in babytalk accent) Well, I'll think about letting Uncle Al practice on our Johnny. But if I see one bubble gum cigar... (beat - to himself) Oops - forgot about the folks. Show time, sweetheart! He gives Donna another kiss and goes to the door to let the others in: Verbena, Tina, Katie, her husband-Jim Bonner, Tom. Gooshie's not there. Sam envelopes his mom and draws her through the throng to see her first grandchild. The proud father scoops his baby up for all to see. SAM Everybody, say 'hello' to John Albert Beckett. THELMA-LOUISE Oh, Sam. You named him after your father. SAM And my best friend. Sam's mom is teary-eyed. In the background, we see Gooshie enter, smile at the scene, then bee-line to Verbena. GOOSHIE Ziggy's having a difficult time keeping a link to Al. VERBENA Are you saying we may need Sam? GOOSHIE I think so - and so does Ziggy. Verbena sighs. She hates to break up this celebration, but... VERBENA Sam, we're having problems with the latest leap. I wanted avoid this, but we need you at Central Control. Sam nods in acknowledgment, but looks to Donna for release. DONNA Tell Al we love him. Sam give his new family a final kiss and heads reluctantly out the door. CLOSE UP - DONNA & BABY JOHN DONNA (continuing) And we love you, Sam. CUT TO: EST. SHOT - HOSPITAL - NIGHT It's a dark and stormy.... INT. HOSPITAL BEDROOM - NIGHT CLOSE UP - OBSERVER now suffering from the same symptoms as Sam: high fever, respiratory distress, etc. but also a pervading sadness and a sense of abandonment. The last time we saw Al like this was in "M.I.A." PULL BACK to see that both parents are not there. The promise made by the father obviously forgotten. The loneliness we feel for him is now intensified as we see a small man in a big room - dying without a friendly face of comfort. Suddenly there's a commotion at the door, the lights are brought up and a new patient enters with a group of techs and doctors. There are no visible laymen. Al watches with interest as his new roomie is gingerly set in a bed next to him. It is another child, sick and unable to support himself. A nurse comes over to ease Al/Ray - tuck in the covers, monitor the machine, check the fluids. Dr. Saul comes over to check the chart again. NURSE Hi, Ray. Dr. Saul is here to pull the e.t. out. Al sighs with relief. DR. SAUL I told you he'd like that. (indicating the new patient) That's your new roommate, Eric Cole. He has the same... sickness as you. Al checks the kid out. Eric, open mouthed and straining for breath seems to be in the vary last stages of death. His eyes seem vacant. Privy to this drama and in almost similar circumstances, Al should become depressed. Strangely enough, it seems to revitalize him. He keeps his eyes on Eric as Dr. Saul takes out the endo tracheal. Eric finally falls asleep. DR. SAUL You'll be able to talk in a little bit. Try and sleep Ray. OBSERVER (croaking) Where's..where... DR. SAUL Your folks wanted to be here. They... (beat) they're having car problems again. Don't worry - (pats Al's arm) tomorrow for sure. The doctor and nurse leave. Again, for all intent and purpose, Al is alone once more. The steady beat of the heart monitors are all that can be heard. Fitfully, he tries to sleep. DREAM SEQUENCE MONTAGE- OBSERVER'S POV A vending machine as a hand with money inserts coins and selects cigarettes. When nothing happens, the hand begins pounding it. We see a faint swirl and unstable picture that becomes more pronounced as the hand pounds fiercely against the unyielding machine. ANGLE - BACK OF AL Pounding on the machines. DOLLY AROUND to see a youngish Al, his face worn with several days growth, angrily punching the machine in a sterile hallway. There is a maddened look in his eyes that builds. He is obviously drunk. With each word, he slams his fists into the machine. Blood is drawn on his knuckles and there is a pronounced indentation in the metal. He doesn't feel the pain...yet. AL Damn. Damn. DAMN. He stops momentarily, looks around, and spots a utility belt left at the bottom of a ladder. Retrieving a hammer, there's almost a maniacal smile on his lips as he begins slamming the machine with all his might. On the fourth swing, the hammer suddenly seems glued to his shoulder. Puzzled he looks around. There, holding the hammer-head, is a very youthful Sam Beckett. His clothes are a cross between farmboy and late 70's city life. SAM I think you need to get some sleep. There's a pause as Al scrutinizes this wholesomeness. He tries to jerk the hammer out of Sam's palm. Sam doesn't budge. AL And you need a good lay. Sam slowly lowers his arm still holding the hammer head. Al's hand, still clutching the hammer handle, lowers with it. Sam refuses to be embarrassed by this line, while maintaining what he knows is right. SAM Let me drive you home Admiral Calavicci. AL (suspicious) How do you know me? SAM I followed your moonshot with the Apollo program. AL Nobody remembers those. SAM I do. I even remember the scandal that aborted flight caused. AL (nodding) The bad stuff. That's all anyone remembers. The pain in Al's hand finally reaches Al's head. He winces, finally releasing the hammer to grab his hand tight. Sam reaches out to stop him. SAM No, don't do that. Here, give it to me. Al angrily lurches away from him. AL Get lost. What do know about medicine? You're a kid. Sam takes his hand anyway, feeling around the knuckles. He talks while taking at least some of the emotional hurt away. SAM Working on my sixth doctorate. Number three was in medicine. AL (laughs) Yeah, and the Flying Nun will win an Oscar. Al keeps laughing, until Sam hits a sore spot. He pulls the hand back protectively, Overbalanced, he falls. He's not laughing now. SAM Let me fix your hand. You've fractured the third... AL (frustrated and rock bottom) Leave me alone! SAM Why? AL I'm not worth it. SAM You are to me. To aerodynamic students who read your thesis. To kids who watched you survive a doomed mission. AL That's history. SAM To be remembered. AL Crap. SAM (becoming frustrated himself) No, you are if you think there's nothing more. AL You're right there. Al puts his head down on his raised knees. Sam sits down next to him. He starts to put a comforting hand on his shoulder, but thinks better of it, aware of how fragile this man's dignity is. AL (continuing) What's your name? SAM Sam. AL (laughing normally) Like Good Sam - those RV road saints? SAM Like Sam Beckett. Soon to be director of... AL Yes? SAM Do you still have security clearance? AL (changing the subject) I think I'll take you up on that ride Good Sam. (beat) Stick? SAM Pardon? AL Stick shift in your car? SAM Yeah. AL If you don't know how to use it, just leave me right here. SAM (smiling) No problem. The two give each other a look - wary, but with possibilities. AL (shaking his head) You are something else. SAM My mother's always saying so. AL (vaguely) At least you have a mother. SAM (puzzled) Don't you? Before Al responds, he pulls up suddenly, his face wanning. AL I don't feel too good. SAM I'm not surprised. Al gets up, or tries to. With Sam's help, he staggers toward the men's room adjacent to the vending machine. As violently ill as he is about to get, a nagging question just has to be asked. AL Why do you care? SAM Because you don't. AL (shaking his head) You are a saint. PULL BACK As the two enter the men's room the music comes up. With a languishing chord, it evaporates into an echo bringing us to... INT. HOSPITAL BEDROOM - NIGHT The monitors overlap the music's rhythm. Hovering over Al's form is a concerned Sam. He stands like a solitary angel waiting patiently in the dark. Al twists suddenly and his eyes blink open wildly, breathing heavy. The breathing will eventually subside, but to a small wheeze. OBSERVER Sam! SAM I'm here Al. END ACT II, PART I -------------------------------------------------- Christina Mavroudis Integrated Systems, Inc.