Tom Horton
Amanda Howard
Greg Peters
PROLOGUE
FADE IN: INT. AMANDA'S HOSPITAL ROOM - SAME DAY AS EPISODE # 2666 (CONTINUATION OF SCENE BETWEEN AMANDA AND GREG. HE IS VERY EXCITED AS HE RE-READS WHAT SHE HAS WRITTEN ON THE PAPER).
GREG (reading): You've written..."I remember children."
(GREG LOOKS UP AT AMANDA)
GREG: The chidren at the clinic?
(AMANDA MOTIONS FOR PAPER AGAIN, HE GIVES HER THE PAD, HELPS TO GUIDE HER HAND AS SHE PRINTS THE WORDS. THEN HE TAKES IT FROM HER. READING)
GREG: Children painting. (GREG SMILES) Of course. The children at the clinic painted a mural for the waiting room. With crazy trees and flowers and purple robins. That's what you remember, isn't it?
(AMANDA BLINKS HER EYES FOR YES)
GREG: Very good. You are probably wondering about the clinic...
(AMANDA BLINKS YES)
GREG: It's an important part of your life, Amanda. You do volunteer work there and recently you donated money to build a new addition, three operating rooms and eight beds. You used your own money, an inheritance from your late husband, Jason Howard.
(AT THIS MOMENT, THE DOOR OPENS AND TOM ENTERS, SMILES WARMLY AT AMANDA. THERE IS A TENTATIVE HALF-SMILE ON HER FACE AS HER EYES MEET HIS)
TOM: Amanda, you're looking wonderful today.
GREG: She remembers the children painting the mural at the clinic, Tom.
TOM: The purple robins. How could anyone forget!
GREG: She was able to print the words clearly. "I remember children...children painting."
TOM: It won't be long before you will feel like trying to say the words, Amanda. When you are ready, tell us, and a therapist will help you. The thing is, you musn't be afraid of failing the first few times. We adults take speaking easily for granted. But for a child, it's like painting purple robins. Usually when you try to paint one, someone says no, robins aren't made that way. Children know better. Robins are made whatever way you see them. Speaking for the first time will be difficult. The sounds you want to make won't come out right. But we all will listen with our hearts instead of our ears. Because a miracle is happening and we know it. You are going to be perfectly well one day, you will remember everything, and you will be able to speak.
(TAKE THE LOOK OF HOPE ON AMANDA'S FACE. SHE LIFTS UP HER HAND, REACHING OUT TO TOM, AND HE TAKES IT IN HIS, HOLDING IT BETWEEN BOTH OF THEM)
TOM: Now, I think we've both worn the patient out enough for the day, don't you, Dr. Peters?
GREG (rising): I agree. I'll you see again tomorrow, Amanda.
TOM: I will, too.
(THE TWO MEN SMILE AT AMANDA AND LEAVE THE ROOM. CUT TO: INT. WAITING AREA OUTSIDE AMANDA'S HOSPITAL ROOM. AS THEY EXIT AND CLOSE THE DOOR, GREG LOOKS AT TOM, HIS EXPRESSION SUBDUED)
GREG: Will it be that easy, Tom? As painting purple robins?
TOM: If Amanda has faith, she can do anything.
GREG: I want to be a believer.
(HOLD ON GREG'S THOUGHTFUL FACE, THEN, SLOWLY DISSOLVE TO: INT. LAURA'S DEN)
Rosie Carlson
Bill Horton
INT. LAURA'S DEN. (BILL COMES DOWN THE STAIRS TO FIND ROSIE FOLDING DIAPERS. HE HAS A BLACK EYE AND A BRUISED CHEEK, TRIES TO DUCK OUT WITHOUT BEING SEEN.)
ROSIE: Doc Bill?
BILL: Yeah, Rosie...
ROSIE: Come here a minute.
BILL: I'm late for an appointment.
ROSIE: Come here.
(HE DOES SO, AND SHE SURVEYS THE DAMAGE)
ROSIE: Uh-huh.
BILL: Uh-huh what?
ROSIE: Maybe Missy believed the story you told her about getting hit with a swinging hospital door, but I know better.
BILL: A wise wife believes the stories her husband tells her.
ROSIE: I ain't your wife.
BILL: You want the truth.
ROSIE: If it ain't none of my business, say so.
BILL: It aint'...
ROSIE: You don't have to say it. I was afraid it might have something to do with young Mike.
BILL: What makes you think that?
ROSIE: When a new mama like Missy sits crying in her room for hours a couple of days a week, a body's bound to notice. Not that I'm one to go pokin' my nose in where it ain't wanted. But I figured it couldn't be on accounta you, Doc Bill.
BILL: Thanks for the vote of confidence.
ROSIE: You don't know beans about babies, but you're a good husband.
BILL: Rosie, I'm overwhelmed.
ROSIE: Whatever it is with young Mike, straighten the boy out, all right?
BILL: I'm trying, Rosie.
ROSIE: That's good enough, let's drop the subject.
BILL: By the way, you still have that money stashed away in the bank? The money you got for selling your farm?
ROSIE: Where else you think I'd keep it? In my mattress?
BILL: I talked to Neil Curtis and got his dad's phone number. His name is Nathan and he's coming around this afternoon to meet you.
ROSIE: Do tell.
BILL: He's an investment counselor with an eye for unusual opportunities.
ROSIE: I can tell when investment folks are straight or not.
BILL: You can?
ROSIE: The fishy ones give you the eye kind of funny, like a wall-eyed pike.
BILL: They're going to have to get up pretty early to fool you, Rosie Carlson.
ROSIE: Ain't it the truth. They say there's a sucker born every day, but I ain't one of them.
(AS THEY SMILE AT EACH OTHER, DISSOLVE TO: INT. PHOENIX BANK)
James Stanhope
Jeri Clayton
INT. PHOENIX BANK. (AS JERI CLAYTON AND JAMES STANHOPE STAND LOCKED IN A HEATED QUARREL).
STANHOPE: Don't make me do something I don't want to do, Mrs. Clayton.
JERI: Call me Jeri. It hasn't been that long ago. Why don't you just stop lying to both of us?
(TAKE THE LOOK ON HIS FACE, AND...MUSIC: UP TO FINISH AND OUT. FADE TO BLACK FOR HOUR GLASS INSERT (32 seconds) AND COMMERCIALS # 1 AND # 2 (2 minutes, 3 seconds)