EPISODE 7

 

EPISODE # 007

Created By: Casey S. Hutchison

Written By: Casey S. Hutchison

Air Date: Tuesday September 10, 2024

-- PREVIOUS EPISODE AVAILABLE HERE --

Nighttime continues to creep up on the residents of Hazelbrook, with this particular night feeling colder than ever, not only as the September weather continues to bring about change, but as life changing events occur.

At the Callahan Home, in the Study, Catherine is half asleep on the couch in the room, as the scrapbook is on her chest. Before she can get comfortable, her phone suddenly rings. Catherine jolts up, reaching for it quickly.

CATHERINE: Hello? Hudson? Honey, slow down, you’re not making any sense. What’s going on? Hector was shot? Oh my God! Calm down, sweetheart. Your father and I are gonna be right there!

Meanwhile, at the Davidson Home, in Jennifer and Kirk’s Bedroom, Jennifer enters the room, rubbing lotion on her hands. She goes to Kirk, who is lying in bed, reading a book.

JENNIFER: I know you can’t possibly be that interested in reading right now.

KIRK: Oh yeah? Why’s that?

JENNIFER: Because I’m not wearing anything under this robe.

KIRK: (laughs) Is that so?

JENNIFER: You best believe it.

KIRK: Come here, you.

Kirk pulls Jennifer in, kissing her passionately. As he continues to kiss her, Jennifer’s phone starts to ring.

KIRK: Just ignore it. I’ve got to have you.

JENNIFER: (sighs) It could be the hospital.

KIRK: Are you on call?

JENNIFER: Unfortunately.

Jennifer holds her robe, stopping it from falling off. She then looks over at a nightstand, and reaches for her phone.

JENNIFER: Oh…

KIRK: What?

JENNIFER: It’s my brother.

Jennifer answers the call. Rather quickly, however, her happy expression she had just a moment ago, turns to one of shock and sadness.

At St. Raphael Hospital, Paramedics rush off of the elevator with Hector on a gurney. Clark and Denise rush up to the scene, as Antonio, Emily, and Hudson watch on in horror.

DENISE: What do we have here?

PARAMEDIC 1: Male. Early 50s. GSW to the abdomen. We’re having trouble getting him stable. We had to shock him twice in the ambulance.

CLARK: Let’s get him to exam room one.

DENISE: Clark, take over for a second.

Clark rushes off with the Paramedics and a team of medical professionals. Meanwhile, Denise rushes over to Emily, Antonio, and Hudson.

DENISE: Emily, Antonio, Hudson, what’s going on here? What happened?

ANTONIO: We were all in the park.

HUDSON: We heard gunshots.

EMILY: And then we all ducked down.

ANTONIO: I looked up and saw my father on the ground. There was so much blood. Doctor Davidson, you’ve gotta save his life.

DENISE: I’m going to do everything I can. Wait here.

Denise rushes off, as Emily lays a hand on Antonio’s right shoulder.

Back at St. Raphael Hospital, in a Private Waiting Room, Catherine, Edmund, Frances, Mr. Armstrong, Imani, Jennifer, and Kirk rush into the room, quickly greeting Hudson, Antonio, and Emily with hugs and powerful emotion.

CATHERINE: My goodness, what on Earth could have led to your father being shot, Antonio? I am so sorry, dear.

ANTONIO: It all happened so fast. We were just in the park…standing around…chatting. Before you know it…gunshots.

EDMUND: What do you mean all of you were standing in the park?

EMILY: We were all there, Mr. Callahan. Hudson, me, Antonio, Hector. We were all in the park tonight, having a talk.

FRANCES: A talk about what, dear?

HUDSON: I don’t think that’s important right now, Emily.

IMANI: I actually agree with Hudson on this one. I think we all need to just wait for news on Hector and say some prayers right now.

KIRK: That sounds like a good call, sis.

MR. ARMSTRONG: He’s an amazing man. When Antonio called me, I knew there was no place else I’d rather be than right here, right now.

CATHERINE: I hear you there, Mr. Armstrong. I know there’s a lot going on right now, considering the factory, the lawsuit, and everything else, but I’m just glad we’re all able to come together in this moment of unity.

HUDSON: Whoa, whoa, whoa…what lawsuit? What are you talking about, mom?

EDMUND: I guess now’s a good time to tell everyone. Maybe Imani herself wants to inform everyone of what’s going on. I’m more than positive that tonight’s shooting had a relation to this whole factory worker retaliation thing.

IMANI: We don’t know that for sure. Crime in this city is at an all-time high.

CATHERINE: Oh please, Imani. Save us your lectures of the law and crime. We all know that my family has been being targeted by a disgruntled employee of mine. And I hope the coward soon shows themselves.

MR. ARMSTRONG: Mrs. Callahan, please.

CATHERINE: What, Mr. Armstrong?

FRANCES: Everyone, just stop! I think we should just focus on Hector. Yes, there is a lawsuit going on. A class action suit against Callahan Cosmetics for factory workers that feel as though they have gotten the short end of the stick. And Imani, you know that this is quite possibly the work of the factory worker or workers who are additionally responsible for throwing the brick through the window with Mrs. Callahan’s photo attached to said brick. Don’t be foolish in not at least taking that into account. Now, I refuse to let any of you go on any longer. We need to be here for Hector right now. And we need to be here for Antonio. Am I making myself clear to everyone?

Everyone looks around, and nods in agreement with Frances.

FRANCES: Good.

Still at St. Raphael Hospital, in the first Examination Room, Denise, Clark, and Jennifer are all in medical gowns, gloved up, and quickly trying to work on a bleeding Hector.

JENNIFER: Do you think he’s stable enough to transport to the O.R. yet?

DENISE: No. I can’t find the source of this bleeding.

CLARK: What do you want to do, Denise?

DENISE: I don’t know. We may have to open him up further.

JENNIFER: We could risk him bleeding out, though.

DENISE: It’s our only chance. There’s no clear exit where this bullet’s concerned. We need to get in there and grab the bullet. I also need a clearer picture of what’s going on inside of him.

CLARK: Alright, everyone! Let’s get my wife more lap pads, and prepare to open Mr. Ramirez up a tad more to get a better view.

Still at St. Raphael Hospital, on the 5th Floor, Antonio is sitting on a bench, praying, when Emily walks up to him with a cup of coffee for her and him. The coffee is in to-go cups, and Emily takes a seat next to him.

EMILY: Sorry to have interrupted your prayers. I just figured that even the Lord knows that you need some sort of caffeine boost.

ANTONIO: It’s alright. Thanks, Em.

EMILY: No worries. Drink up.

Antonio follows Emily’s kind-hearted order, and takes a sip. He then wipes away a few tears. Emily takes notice.

EMILY: Did you burn your tongue?

ANTONIO: A little. But that’s not why I’m shedding these tears.

EMILY: Is the coffee that bad?

Antonio lets out a little laugh, as Emily smiles.

ANTONIO: (voice breaking) It is bad. But so is this whole night. I just can’t believe my father’s been shot. And I’m more than sure that this is some sort of retaliatory thing against the Callahan family. But honestly, Emily, I do think that bullet was meant for Hudson. I think that whoever is behind this whole factory, wage thing over at Callahan Cosmetics is out for blood.

EMILY: I think you’re right. They’re even coming for my mom, I think. She keeps getting these phone calls. They’re frightening.

ANTONIO: What has this world come to? I know that Catherine and Edmund have been nothing short of amazing with the blessings they have given me in this life. But I’m not stupid. I know that they’ve made their money by stomping out a few people. Catherine in cosmetics. Edmund in the world of book writing. But they don’t deserve this, Em. If someone has an issue with the wage they are at, or the factory conditions, then they should take it up honestly, like Mr. Armstrong. My father…(voice breaking) my last surviving parent is in there fighting for his life. And it could’ve been Hudson. It could’ve been me. God forbid, it could’ve been you. But it’s my daddy. My father.

EMILY: I know. And we’re going to get justice. We’re going to figure out what has been going on at that factory. We’re going to figure out why someone followed us to the park. I won’t sit around and wait for the police to come up with answers. I’ll come up with my own. I’ll dig around. That is a promise I’m making right here, right now to not only you, but to your father. And you know what? Even to your mother. May she continue to rest in peace.

Antonio leans his head on Emily’s shoulder, as Emily puts an arm around him, comforting the man who is struggling with unimaginable grief.

Meanwhile, in the Private Waiting Room of St. Raphael Hospital, Catherine and Edmund are standing across from Hudson.

CATHERINE: You were there tonight, son. Antonio and Emily already let on that they were discussing something intense with you and Hector. So what were all of you talking about? And don’t lie to me.

EDMUND: Son, we need to know the truth. We think this all pertains to the factory worker or workers targeting our family. Your mother and Frances have been heavily impacted by this. And now Hector. You need to be open and honest with us.

HUDSON: Hector and I have been going through some private business together. That’s the truth, mom and dad. I’m not lying.

CATHERINE: Don’t just stop there.

EDMUND: What kind of business?

HUDSON: Like I mentioned, private business. I promised Hector that I wouldn’t reveal our dealings together. And I’m going to hold firm to that promise.

EDMUND: Dealings? Son, I get it. You’ve always been big on loyalty. But this is one of the times where loyalty is tested. And this is one of the times where you need to open up for the good of a lot of people that your mother and I know you care about.

CATHERINE: Your father’s right, honey. I know this is hard. A man was shot right in front of you. That’s incredibly scary. Incredibly traumatic. The police are going to have a lot of questions for you. though. I know Officer Bowman is on top of this case. They are going to dig into why you were there. So either you come forward now, or Antonio and Emily will in their statements, making you look bad.

HUDSON: Mom! Get off my back.

EDMUND: Don’t you talk to your mother that way.

As the heated exchange continues, Imani reenters the room.

CATHERINE: It’s fine, this time around. Let’s just all take a breather.

IMANI: I can come back later, if all of you want me to.

CATHERINE: No, Imani, you’re alright. I texted you to come back here for a reason. If you two will excuse me, I need to speak with Imani about something.

EDMUND: Fine. Let’s go get a cup of coffee, son.

Hudson and Edmund exit the room, shutting the door behind them.

CATHERINE: How is Mr. Armstrong coping with all of this? I know that he and Hector have always been very close.

IMANI: He’s doing just fine. I ended up calling him an Uber, actually. I told him to go home and get some rest.

CATHERINE: How noble of you. But I’m sure you want him bright eyed and bushy tailed for questioning with the other employees in the class action. I know you’re holding a meeting with all of them tomorrow about next steps.

IMANI: Not that it’s any of your business, but yes, I am.

CATHERINE: Imani, you should just drop this whole suit. You should be able to recognize that I am not the enemy here. My factories are up to code. That’s why your investigators haven’t found anything yet. My wages are liveable, as you can see from the living budgetary projections that Human Resources sent over.

IMANI: I will say that you are good at covering all of your bases, checking all of your boxes. But I believe in fighting the good fight, Catherine. Now, I don’t think you’re a bad person. I don’t think that at all. You’re a woman in a very competitive, man-eat-man world. You’ve had to squash out competitor after competitor. You’ve had to deal with a new cosmetics world post-COVID-19. And then you’ve had to make sure your father’s life is in order as he continues to fight Alzheimer’s. You’ve been through so much. I get it. But this lawsuit, like it or not, is moving forward.

CATHERINE: Thank you for your words. They’ve let me in on who you really are. And I can’t wait to go head-to-head with you in a courtroom.

IMANI: I’m looking forward to it, too.

On the 5th Floor of St. Raphael Hospital, over by the main desk, Emily is standing at the desk, taking a sip of her coffee, as Frances walks over to her.

FRANCES: Dear?

EMILY: Hey, mom.

FRANCES: What are you doing here? I thought you’d be back in the waiting room with everybody else. Are you okay?

EMILY: I’m fine. I’m just waiting for Antonio. Hector’s about to go into surgery while they have him stable enough to go to the operating room.

FRANCES: He wasn’t stable prior?

EMILY: Not at all. That’s changed now, thank God.

FRANCES: I keep thanking God a lot. You know, perhaps we should gather everyone in the waiting room. I think it’s time we all said a prayer for Hector.

EMILY: I think that’s a great idea, mother.

Minutes later, in the Private Waiting Room, everyone has gathered in a circle, and tossing complicated relationships aside, everyone begins to hold hands.

FRANCES: Matthew chapter seven, verses seven through eight state, “Ask, and it will be given to you. Seek, and you will find. Knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.” We’re asking our father God to please open the doors of healing to our dear Hector Ramirez. Hector is a father, a widow, and one of the hardest working men on this planet. We’re asking our dear Maria Santiago Ramirez to guide her husband back to us. To shelter him with our Lord. To guide him towards a healing power. Hector, everyone’s waiting for you. Everyone loves you. It’s in the Lord’s Heavenly name we pray, Amen.

EVERYONE: Amen.

In an Operating Room of St. Raphael Hospital, Jennifer, Denise, Clark, and a medical team are crowded around Hector, who is opened up on the operating table.

JENNIFER: Hang another unit of O neg, please.

DENISE: Good call, Jennifer. And if someone could get me more suction over here, I think I’m close to finding the bullet that was located on the portable scan.

CLARK: Come on, Hector. Stay strong for us, buddy.

As Denise, Clark, Jennifer, and the medical team continue to work hard, Denise suddenly begins to take some long, deep breaths.

CLARK: You alright, honey?

DENISE: Yeah. I’m fine. Thanks. Alright, Doctor Callahan, can you begin to look around the field, and see if you can locate the bullet? I’ll continue suction, and loading the field up with lap pads, so you can get a clear look.

JENNIFER: Got it.

Jennifer begins searching for the bullet. But as she does, Denise begins to sweat a lot. A Nurse wipes her head, but it doesn’t seem to be doing much.

CLARK: Honey?

JENNIFER: Chief, are you alright?

DENISE: Just keep searching. I…I…

Before Denise can say another word, and to everyone’s shock, Denise faints in the sterile field of the operating room! 

CLARK: (calling out) Denise! Denise!

JENNIFER: Go, Doctor Davidson. I’ve got this.

CLARK: I’m not just going to abandon you.

JENNIFER: Clark! Go be with your wife!

Clark looks deep into Jennifer’s eyes. Then, Clark and some of the medical team rushes over to Denise. As this is happening, however, and to Jennifer’s surprise, Hector begins going into Ventricular fibrillation.

JENNIFER: Dammit! He’s going into v-fib. We’re going to need to shock him! Come on, Hector. Don’t die on me. Don’t you dare.

END OF EPISODE 007