BONES: "The Boy in the Bay"
(working title)
by KT
[Act 1] [Scene 1]
[OPEN on the shores of Chesapeake Bay. MARKUS, 20, handsome, is walking with a pretty girl. He's very dark-complected, looking as if in a constant state of surliness. He and KATY, his girlfriend, are kicking stones, silent in companionship, until a commotion draws them nearer to the shore. BOOTH, BRENNAN, and an FBI team are working on getting skeletal remains from the water.]
BRENNAN
Be careful with that crane! You could compromise very delicate evidence!
CRANE ENGINEER
I am being careful! It's kind of hard to see what I'm doing in the middle of the night, if you haven't noticed!
BRENNAN
It's not the middle of the night, it's only-
BOOTH
Guys, come on, really? Do we have to do this whole stupid dance every time we need a damn crane?
BRENNAN
Well, he could compromise the remains! It's only making our job more difficult!
CRANE ENGINEER
I thought you were supposed to be brilliant enough to work with compromised remains, Doctor Brennan!
BOOTH
Alright, alright, just everyone calm down and focus on getting this poor sucker out of the bay, alright?
[After a few more moments' struggle, the remains are finally disposed onto the shore. BRENNAN kneels to inspect it.]
BRENNAN
Finally.
[The CRANE ENGINEER huffs, annoyed.]
The victim is male, approximately 165 centimeters tall -
BOOTH
Bones?
BRENNAN
About 5'5". Judging by the amount of Endochondral ossification in the femur, I'd wager he was a young teenager, just starting puberty, but other signs indicate he was older.
BOOTH
Which means what, there are two bodies?
BRENNAN
No, it's highly more likely that the victim was in his mid-teens, but malnourished or ill when he died. His wisdom teeth were starting to come in, looks like - see?
BOOTH
[not paying attention]
Yeah Bones, it's great.
BRENNAN
Going by the dental work, I'd say at least of East European descent, if not from the region himself.
[Overhearing the observations, MARKUS suddenly ducks under the police tape and starts tripping his way toward the remains, KATY stumbling after him. BOOTH pulls out his gun, hovering instinctively over BRENNAN.]
BOOTH
Hey! Back off, chief!
BRENNAN
You should probably listen to him; even at long range, Booth is an excellent shot, and you are very close to him right now. Not to mention, this is a crime scene and it's been taped off for a reason.
KATY
Oh my god, I'm so sorry! He's not from America; he doesn't know any better, please don't get mad! Markus, come on, let's go.
[KATY reaches for MARKUS's arm, but he pulls away. When MARKUS speaks, it's with a heavy Czech accent. His voice is constricted with terror.]
MARKUS
How long has this boy been in the water?
BOOTH
[still aiming his gun cautiously]
Why d'you wanna know?
BRENNAN
It's difficult to tell in the poor light and the sediment still clinging to the remains.
BOOTH
Bones, I got this.
BRENNAN
Do you? He looks very upset to me.
BOOTH
Yeah, Bones, I noticed while trying to make sure he doesn't pull a knife on you!
KATY
Markus would never hurt anyone!
MARKUS
Listen to me! This boy - I think this boy is my brother!
[BOOTH, BRENNAN, and KATY stop bickering to stare alternately at MARKUS, and then at the remains]
-roll opening-
[OPEN on a second-rate art gallery. Nothing fancy, just a small, intimate studio apartment with walls the color of either cranberry juice or blood. Hung up and scattered through the room on haphazard easels are more paintings than can be displayed, some leaning three-or-four deep in the corners to be leafed through. One full wall of works are portraits of the same handsome young man, ranging in age from a toddler to 16. Opposite that series is another, a line of drawings graduating from feeble scribbles on a notepad to several beautiful, thought-provoking works.
[Standing before the modest group of art-enthusiasts is MARKUS's sister KLARA, 23. She is in a constant state of anxiety and fidgeting, adequately pretty but deliberately dressing down with small artistic flairs. She speaks with a much softer accent than her brother.]
KLARA
Um, hello everyone. Thank you so much for being here. Having the chance to share my work with you is an honor and a privilege. However, before we begin, I...I would like to take the opportunity to explain my two series, featured on the north and east walls. Facing the south are the some of the hundreds of pictures and portraits I've done since I was in physical therapy and art therapy six years ago. Without nearly dying, none of this would be possible, funnily enough.
[scattered laughter]
The second series, facing the west, facing the American dream, is the youngest of my three brothers, Nikolas, my Niki. He was a shy and easily frightened boy, and when I fell ill he ran away. We haven't seen him since, and every year I've done another portrait for his birthday. He looks very much like our mother, and for the first time in my life, I am glad she died so many years ago, so she wouldn't have to live through the pain of -
[JOPIE, 16, KLARA's youngest sibling and Nikolas' fair-haired twin sister, trips in from another room, cell phone in hand, gasping with tears in her eyes.]
JOPIE
[in Czech]
Markus got in trouble again. He thinks the police found Niki's body in the bay.
[KLARA stares, stunned, before dismissing her gallery and running out the door with her sister]
[SCENE 2]
[In the Jeffersonian, CAM, ANGELA, and BRENNAN are standing around the cleaned bones of the victim. MARKUS is locked up in ANGELA's office]
ANGELA
That poor kid. How terrible.
BRENNAN
Are you referring to the victim or the boy Booth locked in your office?
ANGELA
Um, both I guess. I mean, being dumped in a river is horrible, but imagine not knowing if your brother is alive or not for six years.
BRENNAN
I didn't know my mother was dead until nearly twenty years after her disappearance. Is that so different?
CAM
Either way, why is that young man locked in Ange's office?
BRENNAN
Oh, he wouldn't stop following me and Booth. I didn't mind as long as he wasn't interfering, but it was making Booth nervous.
ANGELA
Well he thinks it's his brother, sweetie. Wouldn't you do the same?
[BRENNAN makes a noncommittal noise and continues examining the remains]
BRENNAN
There's a rather large fracture in the jawbone, but it had begun to heal before he died. A few ribs are broken off - any word on if the team found the rest? That could be our cause of death.
CAM
Well, is there any way Ange could do a hasty facial reconstruction, so Booth can stop huffing around the lab like an angry coyote around that kid?
[Surely enough, we see BOOTH, visibly hacked off, pacing in circles in the outer ring of the room, hands on hips, keeping a stern eye on MARKUS even though he is sitting complacently in ANGELA's swiveling chair, playing with a pen.]
ANGELA
Sure, I can give it a shot if you can spare the skull. We should probably move him to Bren's office, though. I wouldn't want to upset him.
CAM
Oh, definitely. Booth? Can you move him to Doctor Brennan's office, please? Angela needs to work.
BOOTH
Sure, Cam. [BOOTH unlocks the office door] Come on kid, this way.
[MARKUS steps, bewildered, out of the office, looking around the lab with a sense of wonder in his countenance, at least until he looks at the bones on the table and shudders. ANGELA smiles sympathetically at him, and he latches onto the human contact.]
MARKUS
You are the artist?
ANGELA
Um, yeah? Yeah, I am.
MARKUS
My sister also is an artist. Her gallery opened today.
[There is a band as the door to the lab flies open. In marches KATY, KLARA, and JOPIE.]
BOOTH
Where the hell is the security in this place?
KLARA
You have my brother?
CAM
Excuse me, how did you get in here?
KLARA
[to MARKUS, in Czech]
What did you do?
MARKUS
[also in Czech]
I didn't do anything! They found Niki's body in the water, and I tried to ask, and they locked me up!
[KLARA turns to the people assembled on the raised platform of the lab. BOOTH sighs, defeated.]
KLARA
You have found my brother? You found my Niki?
BRENNAN
We have no solid proof that this is your brother. Jumping to conclusions is irrational at this juncture. Please leave the facility and we will formally contact you if it turns out the victim was related to you.
[KATY walks to MARKUS and takes his hand. JOPIE stands up straight, defiant, but KLARA visibly wilts.]
KLARA
You need DNA? From me, or Markus? Niki has no records on file; we can help.
BOOTH
No records?
[KLARA shifts guiltily]
KLARA
We weren't exactly legal citizens, before Niki disappeared. We all are now! But - he never had the chance.