EPISODE 8

 

EPISODE # 008

Created By: Casey S. Hutchison

Written By: Casey S. Hutchison

Air Date: Wednesday September 11, 2024

A new day has come to the city of Hazelbrook. But as the sun creeps over the landscape of the city, the residents know that this is a day filled with much uncertainty, as two lives continue to hang in the balance.

At the Ramirez Home, in the Living Room, Antonio and Emily enter the room, having come from the kitchen, holding two cups of freshly brewed coffee.

ANTONIO: Em, I can’t thank you enough for spending the night.

EMILY: You bet. I just didn’t want this place to feel so empty.

ANTONIO: My dad’s spirit is just as full as my mother’s was, so yes, the house did feel a tad empty last night. And hopefully we get word soon from the hospital that he’s awake, and giving all the Nurses a hard time.

EMILY: (laughs) I know those Nurses would love nothing more.

As Emily takes a sip of her coffee, there’s a sudden knock at the door.

ANTONIO: (going to the door) I wonder who that could be.

Antonio opens the door, thrilled to see Mr. Armstrong.

ANTONIO: Mr. Armstrong.

MR. ARMSTRONG: Good morning, Antonio.

ANTONIO: Please, come right on in.

Antonio steps aside, and Mr. Armstrong enters the home.

MR. ARMSTRONG: You’re Emily, right?

EMILY: Yeah. Good morning, Mr. Armstrong.

ANTONIO: I think we’re both happy to see you. What brings you by?

MR. ARMSTRONG: Your father, of course. You know, in hard times, I feel as though we all need the strength of one another.

ANTONIO: I think you’re right about that. Thank God my father has an amazing friend, such as yourself. And hopefully it’s the faces and the places that help him to fight, and make it out of this.

At the Callahan Home, in the Foyer, Hudson comes down the stairs, to the sound of the ringing doorbell. He then makes his way over to the front door, answering said door.

HUDSON: Oh, good morning. Can I help you?

WOMAN: Well, well, well, Hudson Callahan. Goodness, it has been a long time. And yet, I thought you’d recognize me.

HUDSON: (slight nervous laugh) I’m sorry, but I don’t.

WOMAN: It’s me. Rebecca Landon. College…Imani…remember?

HUDSON: Oh my goodness. What on Earth are you doing here?

REBECCA: Well, you see, I’m now a Detective. I work upstate, but I’ve been called here to lead the investigation of a case concerning your mother and her company. Speaking of said case, I desperately need to speak with you.

HUDSON: Oh yeah? Why’s that?

REBECCA: Because you have me very curious as to why you’ve been hanging around your mother’s cosmetics factory manager lately.

HUDSON: So, you want to know all about what happened in the park?

REBECCA: Oh you bet I do. And maybe we can catch up, as well. So, are you going to let me in, or do you want me to take you downtown to the station?

At St. Raphael Hospital, in a Private Waiting Room, Jennifer walks over to Kirk, and hugs him tightly. The two then kiss one another.

JENNIFER: Oh Kirk, I’ve been so worried about you. Has there been any word on your mother since she fainted? I barely got any answers in the O.R.

KIRK: Thanks, babe. I’ve been worried, too. But I actually got word not too long ago from my dad that she’s fine. I just wish I knew why she fainted.

JENNIFER: Has nobody told you yet?

KIRK: No. And I just wish somebody would get some answers.

Still at St. Raphael Hospital, in a Hospital Room, Denise is lying in a hospital bed, lightly sipping on a cup of water, as Clark stands next to her.

CLARK: Can I get you some more water?

DENISE: (coughs) No, I’m fine. But thank you. I can’t believe I fainted during that surgery. I didn’t even feel that lightheaded.

CLARK: But did you feel lightheaded, nonetheless?

DENISE: Kind of. But I mean, I had a protein bar before the surgery. And it’s not like Doctor Pierson has said that I can’t continue as normal for right now.

CLARK: Well obviously you can’t.

DENISE: I had one fainting spell, Clark.

CLARK: We just don’t know what you’re up against here. All we know is that you do in fact have breast cancer. But we don’t know the stage yet, or what Doctor Pierson’s plan is. Come on, Denise.

DENISE: I’ve called Doctor Pierson in, and she will meet with us shortly. Until then, you will be under strict orders to not tell anyone about why I fainted.

CLARK: Well, it’s a little too late for that.

DENISE: What the hell is that supposed to mean?

CLARK: Jennifer Callahan already knows why you fainted.

DENISE: And exactly how in the world does Jennifer know?

Meanwhile, in an Elevator at St. Raphael Hospital, Imani, Edmund, and Catherine are all standing in the elevator, as they ride up to the fifth floor.

IMANI: Why exactly are you two here? I mean, I know you’re one of my mom’s longest running BFFs, Edmund, but…

EDMUND: I care about what happens to your mother. And when I found out that she fainted in that operating room, during an emergency surgery, I told Catherine that this is where we needed to be right now.

CATHERINE: And I want to check up on Hector. Fingers crossed you don’t think I’m doing that to make myself look good for your class action suit.

IMANI: (turning to Catherine/raising an eyebrow) Are you?

CATHERINE: I’m just bringing it up into conversation because I know how good lawyers like yourself work. You’ll spin anything.

IMANI: (smiling) You think I’m a good lawyer? Well thanks.

As Catherine rolls her eyes, the elevator doors open.

EDMUND: Let’s go say hello to everyone.

Back at the Ramirez Home, in the Living Room, Emily, Antonio, and Mr. Armstrong all take a seat on the living room furniture.

MR. ARMSTRONG: You know that the church has him on the prayer list. And today, they’re actually gonna bring some hot meals over for you.

ANTONIO: The church has always been incredible to my family.

EMILY: Same here. Living Kingdom has always been a church full of those with good hearts. They take care of their own, and then some.

MR. ARMSTRONG: That they do. Anyway, I hope that soon things can get back to normal. I hope they catch the person that’s responsible for all of this. You know, I’m involved…leading the charge, actually…on the class action lawsuit against Callahan Cosmetics for not paying a liveable wage in the 2020s, along with sustaining unsafe working conditions. But I’m doing things in an honorable and legal way.

ANTONIO: Which you have every right to do, Mr. Armstrong. I mean, I’ve been around the Callahan family my whole life. I’ve never been disappointed in them. Yet it is your right to go about this lawsuit. But I know that you would never accept violence to be dished out to any innocent human, such as my father.

MR. ARMSTRONG: That I would not.

EMILY: Look, the Callahan family is complicated. And I disagree with Catherine’s method on how she has kept her father’s cosmetic empire going. I mean, look how long it took her to stop animal cruelty testing in her labs. With that being said, I admire you, Mr. Armstrong, for taking a stand for what’s right. I support you in your fight against Callahan Cosmetics. But I cannot support someone who is doing all of these evil acts. There’s justice, and then there’s the worldly demons at work.

ANTONIO: Emily and I are determined to help the police with their investigation. And I hope we can find out whoever’s responsible for the brick throwing, phone calls, gunshots…all of it.

MR. ARMSTRONG: Same here. And I’ll help you guys in any way I can. But I also want the two of you to be careful. Please don’t get hurt. Stay safe.

ANTONIO: You too, Mr. Armstrong. You, too.

Back at the Callahan Home, in the Living Room, Hudson walks over to the bar cart, and begins pouring two cups of coffee.

HUDSON: How do you take your coffee, Detective?

REBECCA: Just a splash of milk, please.

HUDSON: You got it.

REBECCA: (sighs) Gosh, this place is bigger than I remember.

HUDSON: The backyard is also still as big as it was the night I held that party here. You know, the night that you cheated with Imani.

REBECCA: Ancient history. But I’m still sorry that I participated in hurting you. But forgive me for the fact that I still don’t like your sister.

HUDSON: Not a whole lot of people do.

Hudson hands a cup of coffee to Rebecca, keeping one for himself. He then motions for the two of them to sit in sofa chairs that are placed across from one another.

REBECCA: Thank you for the cup of Joe.

HUDSON: You bet. I hope it’s to your liking.

REBECCA: I’m sure it is. And my apologies for not wanting to talk about the past anymore. I must move on to that night in the park. I’m kind of on a deadline.

HUDSON: I get it. Are you staying here, though? In town, I mean.

REBECCA: I am. I live in Rothdale, which is about four hours away from here. But I thought that I’d get a hotel for the time being.

HUDSON: But you don’t know how long this investigation could go on for.

REBECCA: I’m good at my job, Hudson. Anyway, I reviewed statements that Officer Bowman took from Emily Anderson and Antonio Ramirez. They both mentioned that they overheard Antonio’s father speaking with you about you giving him money to assist him in some financial troubles, and because you seem to have a heart when it comes to the Ramirez family, who you’ve grown up around.

HUDSON: Before she passed on, Antonio’s mother, Maria Ramirez, worked here in my home with Emily’s mother, Frannie. Frances, rather. And…uh…yeah, I do feel sorry that the family, even all these years later, deals with the incomparable loss of Maria. They almost lost their home. I didn’t want that to happen. And then I realized that Hector wanted to save money for Antonio, as well as himself for retirement. So…

REBECCA: So is your mother not paying people enough? I know that paychecks and alleged horrific working conditions is why your mother and people around her have been targeted.

HUDSON: I’m no longer involved in the day-to-day dealings at Callahan Cosmetics. I was just trying to help out family friends. As for Hector getting shot, I hope you catch the lowlife that did it. But I promise you that I was only giving money to Hector to help him out. I had nothing to do with him being targeted, which ultimately led to him being shot.

REBECCA: Oh Hudson, I was hoping you would’ve thought things through just like Antonio and Emily did, which is reflective of their statements.

HUDSON: What do you mean?

REBECCA: Judging by the position of the casings on the ground, and footprints, and such, it is apparent that Hector was not the one being targeted. You were. You were meant to get shot that night.

HUDSON: Seriously?

REBECCA: Yeah. Seriously. So be careful when it comes to taking meetings outside of your home during the late hours of the night.

Back at St. Raphael Hospital, on the 5th Floor, Edmund is standing over by the main desk, and talking on the phone.

EDMUND: Did you get the next two chapters, Russ? Wonderful. Please let me know your suggestions and such by the end of today, alright? Great. I have to go for now. Talk to you soon.

As Edmund hangs up from the call, he notices Clark coming out of a hospital room. Edmund slowly walks over to him.

EDMUND: Clark?

CLARK: Edmund, hi. What are you doing here?

EDMUND: Catherine wanted to visit Hector. And I wanted to show support for Denise, of course. How is she doing?

CLARK: She’s doing fine, even though how my wife is doing is none of your concern. Feel free to leave at any moment, Edmund.

EDMUND: Whoa, whoa, whoa, hang on. Are you being this way all because I found out first about Denise’s situation?

CLARK: Not really. The way I act towards you is more so history based. After all, you were with Denise, but broke her heart when you decided to take Catherine back, just as Catherine and I were getting close. Now I keep my distance from Catie day-in-and-day-out. But you, you can just never help yourself when it comes to Denise.

Before Edmund can say another word, Catherine walks over to the two men.

CATHERINE: Wow, this looks like a flashback straight out of college. What are the two of you speaking about? Looks interesting.

EDMUND: Clark was wondering why we were present at the hospital. I told him that we wanted to show support for both Hector and Denise.

CATHERINE: That’s right. Two lives have been greatly impacted by one night. We just wanted to make sure that everyone came out on the other side.

CLARK: Everyone’s gonna be just fine. Please, excuse me, you two.

Clark walks off in a hurry.

CATHERINE: Edmund, what was that all about?

EDMUND: Clarkie is just mad that I knew about Denise’s cancer before he did.

CATHERINE: Cancer? What are you…what?

Edmund looks on at Catherine, realizing he let the truth slip just now.

EDMUND: Dammit, I didn’t mean to just let that slip out. My mind is just all over the place right now, thinking about Denise.

CATHERINE: I can’t believe Denise has cancer.

EDMUND: Well, she wants to keep it from people for right now, until she can figure out all that’s going on. So please, don’t say anything.

CATHERINE: I won’t. You can trust me. But clearly, I can’t trust you.

EDMUND: Why would you think that, Catherine?

CATHERINE: Because you’re getting close to Denise, exploring an old friendship. So much so that you got her to tell you about her secret cancer diagnosis.

EDMUND: She was reluctant to disclose anything to me.

CATHERINE: She did, nonetheless. I guess she still finds you to be a friend, even after all this time, and even after all that has happened. (laughs) Gosh, this is unbelievable.

Still at St. Raphael Hospital, in Clark’s Office, Jennifer and Clark enter the office, shutting the door behind them, and closing the curtains.

JENNIFER: So, did you bring me in here for a quickie?

CLARK: (sighs) Unfortunately, no. Look, Denise is fine. As fine as she can be, rather. And Doctor Pierson will be here soon to converse with her more about her cancer diagnosis. In the meantime, I have to tell you that she knows that you know.

JENNIFER: (panicked) What?! What the hell, Clark?!

CLARK: Calm down! That doesn’t mean she knows about the affair. I threw it at her that you knew, because I’m pissed that your father knew before me.

JENNIFER: My dad knows?

CLARK: She confided in him.

JENNIFER: Old friendships never die, I guess.

CLARK: If that’s what you want to call it. Anyway, she doesn’t want to tell anyone yet. Though she won’t continue to keep it a secret for long. I said to her, however, that I told you because you were so worried about her after she fainted mid-surgery.

JENNIFER: I guess that’s plausible enough. But Clark, you went rogue on me. I literally thought you told her about the affair. She can never find out.

CLARK: I know. And that’s why we should call things off for a bit. I have to take care of her, and my family once this news comes out.

JENNIFER: That’s alright. I get it.

CLARK: You do?

JENNIFER: Yeah. I get where you’re coming from. Sure, the sex has been nice. And you are bigger than a 747 it seems like, which I enjoy. But Clark, I understand completely. And you know what? The door is locked, the curtains are closed, do you want to say a temporary goodbye to what we’ve been sharing?

CLARK: I’d love nothing more.

Clark goes to Jennifer, pulls her close, and kisses her passionately.

Back in a Private Waiting Room at St. Raphael Hospital, Imani and Kirk are sitting next to one another on a bench.

IMANI: What a day this has been. I’m just glad that we finally heard that mom is doing okay. I was so worried about her, Kirk.

KIRK: Me too, sis. She means the world to the both of us. And nothing will ever prepare us for living life without mom. So thank goodness this was just her having some long lasting headache.

IMANI: Yeah, thank goodness. Anyway, how are you holding up? I mean, you and Jennifer got that call about Hector. She had to go into surgery. And then you stayed here because of mom. Little sleep. Showering here.

KIRK: Thanks for checking in, but I’m doing okay. I would be lying if I said that I wasn’t emotional. And I’d be lying if I said that this wasn’t the most I’ve ever felt sleep deprived in my whole life. But I’m just glad that today has brought with it some good news.

IMANI: Same here. Let’s hope the good news continues.

KIRK: Amen to that. Fingers crossed.

As Imani and Kirk smile at one another, Imani’s phone suddenly begins to ring. She digs through her handbag and retrieves it.

IMANI: Oh? I should take this. Please, excuse me.

KIRK: No, that’s quite alright. You stay here. I’m going to see if I can go and find Jennifer. I’ll see you later, sis. I love you a whole bunch.

IMANI: Love you, too, bro.

Kirk walks off, out of the room, just as Imani answers the call.

IMANI: Hudson?

HUDSON: (over the phone) Hey, you got a sec?

IMANI: I hope I don’t regret answering this call. What’s up?

HUDSON: I need some legal advice. And before you ask, it’s nothing to do with drugs. It has everything to do with Callahan Cosmetics. And I know it’d be a conflict of interest for you to represent me, so that’s not what I’m asking you here.

IMANI: What exactly are you asking me, Hudson?

HUDSON: I got a visit today from someone. Someone from the past. And that someone is a detective now, and they had a lot of questions about Hector’s shooting.

IMANI: Someone from the past? Who?

HUDSON: Rebecca Landon. She has been contracted by our local authorities to help solve this case of who’s targeting my mom and those around her. And she also said that the bullet that was pumped into Hector was meant for me. I’m just wondering if I should get a lawyer, since she’s asking so many questions.

IMANI: Rebecca Landon’s in town…wow. I’m gonna have to sit with that one for a moment. As for the legal question, I think it’d be a good idea to reach out to an independent lawyer. What I mean by that is that if you feel as though you need legal representation, which never hurts, then you should look outside of your family’s legal counsel, so nothing comes off as biased.

HUDSON: Good call.

IMANI: And Hudson…?

HUDSON: Yeah?

IMANI: Stay safe out there.

HUDSON: You’re not the first person who has said that to me today. And I promise that I’ll take that under advisement. Thank you, Imani.

IMANI: Sure thing.

Imani slowly hangs up from the call.

Back at the Ramirez Home, in the Living Room, Antonio and Emily are now sitting on the couch alone, as Mr. Armstrong left some time ago.

EMILY: It was nice of Mr. Armstrong to stop by here.

ANTONIO: That it was. I just can’t help but be stuck on something he said.

EMILY: About us staying safe, right?

ANTONIO: Yes. I’m all in to help you investigate whoever is up to all of this criminal activity. I don’t mind tracking down the right Callahan Cosmetics employee. But Emily, I’d be lying if I said that I wasn’t kind of scared.

EMILY: And it’s okay to be scared. Antonio, we’re doing this for the right reasons, though. And I think that because of that, we’ll be alright. I believe in a higher power, so do you. And I also know that our parents will protect us, too. My dad. Your mom.

ANTONIO: I do like to think that they’re up there in Heaven, keeping a very watchful eye over us. It brings me a lot of comfort.

Emily smiles at Antonio, and then places a hand on his knee.

ANTONIO: And if I’m being honest, you also bring me a lot of comfort.

EMILY: Funny, I was just about to say the same thing. I really do appreciate you, Antonio, and our friendship. It means a lot to me.

ANTONIO: You mean a lot to me, too.

Antonio slowly leans in, and then kisses Emily. He then backs away for a moment, looking deep into Emily’s eyes.

ANTONIO: I…I’m…I’m sorry, Em.

EMILY: No. Don’t be. Please don’t be.

Emily leans in, and kisses Antonio this time.

PLAY MUSIC FOR MONTAGE

Back at St. Raphael Hospital, in a Hospital Room, Denise is lying in her hospital bed, alone, lightly crying, as she looks over a file, which details her diagnosis. It’s clear that she has stage four breast cancer. As she flips a page in the file, detailing a treatment plan, she continues to wipe away tears, feeling rather alone in such a horrifying moment.

Meanwhile, in Clark’s Office, at the hospital, Clark and Jennifer are making passionate love on the sofa in the room, as their forbidden attraction continues. Clark kisses Jennifer’s neck, thrusting deep inside of her, as Jennifer digs her nails into his back. In a Hallway at the hospital, Kirk goes up to a Nurse, asking her if she has seen his fiance anywhere. The Nurse shakes her head, as Kirk looks which way to go next.

Then, at Firefly Cafe, Imani walks in, ordering a Cappuccino. As she looks around the scenery, she sees Rebecca on the patio of the coffeehouse, looking through case notes. Rebecca then takes a sip of her latte, looking up suddenly, and immediately taking notice of Imani. The two lock eyes from across the room.

Then, back at the Ramirez Home, Antonio and Emily continue to kiss passionately, no longer denying their attraction for one another. 

Meanwhile, at Mr. Armstrong’s Apartment, as evening takes over the city of Hazelbrook, Mr. Armstrong is sitting on his couch, drinking a beer. He then puts the beer down on an end table, and opens up his chest like coffee table. Mr. Armstrong then retrieves a shoebox, and opens it to reveal a handgun. He then lifts the handgun out of the box, and looks at it deeply.

MR. ARMSTRONG: Maybe I should think about getting rid of this.

Mr. Armstrong then puts the handgun quickly back into the shoebox, puts the shoebox back into the chest like coffee table, and then closes the coffee table. He then puts his feet up, and continues to sip on the beer.

END OF EPISODE 008