ACT ONE
FADE IN:
EXT. LAS VEGAS (STOCK) - NIGHT
To establish.
EXT. MANDALAY BAY - NIGHT
HENRY Andrews exits the hotel with his younger brother JASON riding on his shoulders. Jason is six, but small for his age. Henry pretends to stumble and almost lose his balance. The child trusts his big brother explicitly and laughs each time.
Behind them HARVEY ANDREWS and RACHEL Andrews follow. A wealthy couple entering their Golden Years. They watch their sons play with disapproval. The family stops at the curb.
Henry leans over so Jason falls off and catches him, holding him on his hip. Jason puts his hands on Henry's face and the two make faces at each other.
RACHEL
Henry stop
winding him up.
Henry and Jason look at the two and their humor disappears. Henry sets Jason on the sidewalk next to him, but the child clings to him.
A valet trots up and Harvey Andrews hands his ticket to him. The man jogs off to retrieve their car.
JASON
Can you swing
me, Henry?
RACHEL
No, he may not.
JASON
Just once,
Mommy?
HARVEY ANDREWS
Your
mother said no. You will obey
her, Jason.
HENRY
Hey, listen to
mother, okay, kiddo?
HARVEY ANDREWS
His
name is Jason.
HENRY
It's just--
A sharp look silences the rebuttal.
HENRY
Yes, sir.
The car arrives. Harvey tips the valet before taking the keys.
HENRY
(to Jason)
Want
me to buckle you in?
RACHEL
He can do it
himself.
HENRY
Yeah, but
there's something funner
about your big brother doing it,
huh,
Jason?
JASON
Yep!
HARVEY ANDREWS
Funner
is not a word, Henry. Don't
teach him slang.
JASON
I want to stay
with you, Henry.
HENRY
You're going to
see Uncle Gary. You
can't stay with me.
JASON
Why can't you
come?
HENRY
I have to work.
RACHEL
I told you we
can help you this
month if you went.
HENRY
It's not the
money, mother. I
didn't get the time off.
HARVEY ANDREWS
You
would have had vacation time if
you'd stayed at the laboratory
like
I told you to.
Henry is trying hard to bottle his anger in the face of this old fight.
HARVEY ANDREWS (CONT'D)
I
can't understand why you'd throw
away such a promising career
like
that. Apparently we failed in
raising you.
Henry glares.
HARVEY ANDREWS
(CONT'D)
Maybe for once you could explain that.
HENRY
Are you telling
me that after two
years you'd actually listen to me,
father?
Why is now suddenly different?
The tension that follows freezes Rachel and Jason. Henry backs down first when he turns and opens the back door for Jason.
HENRY (CONT'D)
Get in,
Jas.
Jason climbs into a car seat. Henry leans in and buckles him in. He triple checks all the straps.
HENRY (CONT'D)
Snug as
a bug in a rug.
JASON
Oh! I need
Ralph.
Henry picks up a worn patchwork stuffed dog from the floor and sets it on Jason's lap.
HENRY
I love you,
Cake.
JASON
I love you
ditto, Pie.
The two hug and Henry climbs out, shutting the door. He turns to face his father. His expression dares the man to say something about the brother's ritual good bye.
Henry opens the passenger door for his mother. She gets in and he starts to shut the door. She lays her hand on his, looking up at him. Harvey walks around to the driver's door.
RACHEL
We'll stop by
on the way back
through. Maybe we can spend some
time then.
HENRY
I'd like that,
mother. We could go
to the Hoover Dam.
RACHEL
Yes. That would
be fun. Good-bye,
Henry. All my love.
Henry kisses her cheek and closes the door. He looks over the top of the car at his father. The two stare at each other -- the brink of another argument or something else? Harvey Andrews looks down.
HARVEY ANDREWS
I just
want what's best for you.
Henry doesn't want to keep beating this dead horse.
HARVEY ANDREWS (CONT'D)
I
just--
HENRY
Harvey!
He looks up at Henry. Henry smiles.
HENRY (CONT'D)
I had
to leave. When are you going
to see that? I was angry at you all
the time -- you were at work, at
home, chasing off
girlfriends you
didn't think were fit. You had been
doing
that as long as I can remember!
Leaving was the only best answer
for both of us.
Harvey Andrews tears up but it's over fast. He opens the car door.
HARVEY ANDREWS
We'll
call when we're coming back.
Good night, son.
HENRY
Have a safe
drive, father.
Harvey Andrews gets in. Henry watches them leave. Their Ohio license plate sticks out among the Nevada plates. Henry turns when their Caddy is lost from sight.
FADE TO: WHITE
EXT. US 95 - NIGHT
Traffic is backed up for a mile. Along that mile are at least three car accidents. Leaving the middle accident scene is a CSI vehicle with its emergency lights flashing. It drives on the shoulder to the next scene, stopping behind a squad car.
From it emerge NICK and CATHERINE with field kits. At the bottom of the steep embankment a mangled car rests on its top. Two coroners are preparing two bodies for transport.
CATHERINE
Fifth one
tonight. Whoever is doing
this must be going for a record.
NICK
Or dealing with
some serious road rage.
They start down the embankment toward it. A pair of paramedics rush past with Jason, but the CSI have never met him and don't recognize him. The child is crying so hard that no one can understand that he's screaming for Henry.
CATHERINE
That's the
seventh child this
idiot's sent to the hospital tonight.
I
hope that one's luckier than the
others were.
Closer they can see the plates are Ohio. Neither makes the connection to Henry.
NICK
Have you noticed
that all of the
cars have been out of state? Do you
think
this person's targeting
people out of state?
CATHERINE
That was my
thought at the last scene.
BRASS comes around the car speaking to a patrolman. He's carrying two plastic bags. The patrolman leaves as the two approach him.
CATHERINE
(CONT'D)
Turning into a long night, huh?
BRASS
If we don't
catch this guy I'm quitting.
The CSI chuckle.
NICK
What do we have?
BRASS
Driver and
passenger are dead. The
little boy was luckier.
Brass motions up to the ambulance that's leaving.
BRASS (CONT'D)
The
medics were pretty sure he'll
make it. They bagged the vic's
wallet and purse for you two.
Brass holds up the bags.
CATHERINE
There's a
patrolman right behind
us. He's collecting them and
delivering
them to Mandy so she can
contact next of kin.
BRASS
Will do.
NICK
(to
Catherine)
I'll take skids if you want the car
this time.
At the top of the embankment a PATROLMAN appears.
Patrolman
Detective Brass. We have another four.
The news sickens Brass. He looks at the two.
BRASS
Work faster. I
want this bastard in jail.
They nod, watching him leave. Catherine walks over to the passenger door and crouches down, staring at the now deceased Rachel. Catherine's not supposed to touch the body, but she closes the woman's eyes before she starts processing.
Catherine starts working at the back. She pulls out a Spiderman backpack and opens it. It's full of books, toys, and a Gameboy and games.
She notices a keychain sized digital album dangling from a strap. Catherine turns it on and browses the pictures. Many of them are people she doesn't know, a few are Jason with his parents. It makes Catherine smile, until she comes to the ones of a familiar face.
Catherine fumbles for the cell phone on her belt.
INT. CSI - CHEM LAB - NIGHT
Reminiscent of Greg's lab rat days, Henry has off-the-wall music playing on the CD player and occasionally recites the lyrics. On the center counter are bags and containers of evidence from the accidents tonight. He picks up a bag and uses tweezers to pull red paint scrappings from it.
He prepares a slide and puts it under the microscope. Henry leans in to look at the slide a moment before Catherine walks in.
CATHERINE
Henry.
Henry smiles when he glances up.
HENRY
Hey, Catherine.
Busy night, huh?
Henry turns back to the microscope.
HENRY (CONT'D)
I've
put some of these into the
spectrograph and so far they're all
Torch Red, which really doesn't
narrow this down much, I
know, but--
CATHERINE
Henry, I
need you to--
HENRY
I know. I know.
I'm behind on your
B&E, but--
CATHERINE
Henry, step
away from the evidence
right now!
Henry looks up, surprised by her outburst.
HENRY
Have I done
something wrong?
Catherine walks along the counter like she's approaching a feral dog.
CATHERINE
(calmer)
I
need you to step away from the evidence.
Henry steps back as ordered.
HENRY
What's wrong?
CATHERINE
Your parents
were visiting tonight,
weren't they?
HENRY
Yeah. That's why
I asked to come in
late tonight. Why?
CATHERINE
Your
parent's car was one that was
run off US 95 tonight, Henry. I am
so sorry... Your parents are dead.
Your little brother is in
the
hospital and he's asking for you.
Henry stares at her. His head begins to slowly wag.
HENRY
You're lying.
This is a joke. This
is a sick, sick joke!
CATHERINE
I would
never joke about something
like this, Henry. You know that.
He's moved to denial.
HENRY
No. No! They're
fine. I'll prove it.
Henry pulls out his cell phone and dials a number.
INT. CSI - LAYOUT ROOM - NIGHT
Across the hall dozens of small boxes are scattered around a laptop. A variety of data cables lay nearby. Nick is downloading photos and video from the phones.
He looks up when a phone starts ringing. He puts boxes to his ear until he finds the one. He pulls out a phone with a bloody fingerprint is on the screen. On the screen the name HENRY displays but Nick doesn't connect the name to the lab tech.
INT. CSI - CHEM LAB - NIGHT
Henry hears the distinctive ring tone -- he knows the tune. He rushes across the hall into the room. Catherine tries to stop him but he pushes her aside.
INT. CSI - LAYOUT ROOM - NIGHT
Henry charges into the room and tries to grab the phone from Nick. The CSI jerks back, keeping it from Henry.
HENRY
GIVE ME THAT!
NICK
Back off!
HENRY
GIVE ME THE
PHONE, NICK!
The yelling draws the attention of other people in the lab and they stop to watch.
NICK
BACK OFF! WHAT IS
WRONG WITH YOU?
Henry grabs for the bag and his fingers hook into a corner. He tears open the bag and catches the phone as it falls. He turns it over as it stops ringing.
HENRY
No... No, no,
no...
Nick watches Catherine walk in. She pulls a glove from the box on the edge of the layout table and approaches Henry. She uses the glove to take the phone.
CATHERINE
Let go,
Henry.
He doesn't obey.
CATHERINE (CONT'D)
Please
let go.
Henry does. She hands it back to Nick. She slides her arm around Henry's shoulders and turns him toward the door.
CATHERINE (CONT'D)
Let's
go to the hospital. Your
brother needs you.
Shock has made he complacent and he lets her guide him out. Nick looks at MANDY when she runs into the hall and stops, watching them pass. Nick walks to the door.
NICK
Do you know
what's got into him?
MANDY
This road rage
guy killed Henry's parents.
Nick looks at the phone in his hand. He turns and goes back to his computer. He digs through the phones, finding Harvey and Jason Andrews' phones to start working on them.
INT. SUNRISE HOPSITAL - ER - EXAM ROOM B - NIGHT
The faces of strangers are frightening monsters to Jason. He's crying hard, softly calling for Henry.
Henry pushes through the sea of monsters.
JASON
HENRY!
He reaches for his brother, trying to get up. Henry grabs his hands, gently pushing Jason back on the bed.
HENRY
Shhh. Lay still.
Let them help you.
JASON
Where's Ralph?
HENRY
He's with a
friend. He got hurt too.
JASON
He can't get
hurt. He's just a toy.
Henry smiles. He smoothes back Jason's bangs.
HENRY
I know. I was
just--
DOCTOR BAKER
(O.S.)
Mister Andrews.
Henry turns to DOCTOR BAKER.
DOCTOR BAKER (CONT'D)
I'm
Doctor Baker. I need to talk to you.
Henry turns back to Jason.
HENRY
I'll be back
faster than Spider Man, okay?
Jason nods. Henry follows her out into the ER.
INT. SUNRISE HOSPITAL - ER - NIGHT
DOCTOR BAKER
CSI?
HENRY
What?
She motions to his lab coat -- he never took it off when he left the lab. He glances at the embroidered patch.
HENRY (CONT'D)
Lab
tech. What's going on with my brother?
DOCTOR BAKER
He has a
fractured femur and three
broken ribs. He was lucky. His
grandparents--
HENRY
Parents. They
were our parents.
DOCTOR BAKER
Oh. I'm
sorry. Luckily, they
strapped him in good. The
anesthesiologist
is on his way down
to prep him for surgery. Does he
have any
allergies? Anything that
might complicate using anesthesia?
Henry stares at her. He's suddenly hit with the realization his parents aren't there to answer questions like this. His eyes start to water.
HENRY
I never took him
to the doctor. I
don't know.
She smiles.
DOCTOR BAKER
Most kids
don't have any problems.
Why don't you wait with him?
HENRY
How long will
the surgery take?
DOCTOR BAKER
Probably
three to four hours.
HENRY
When he goes in,
I have to go back
to work for a little bit.
DOCTOR BAKER
Okay.
I'll ask them to call you
when we move him to his room.
Henry goes back into the room and sits down in a chair near the bed. He quietly comforts his baby brother.
INT. CSI - CORRIDOR - NIGHT
Nick passes the chem lab. He looks up and sees Henry working. He looks away, continuing for a few more steps. Then it hits him. He turns, staring at Henry. He walks back to the door.
INT. CSI - CHEM LAB - NIGHT
Henry scribbles on a notepad as he views a slide on the microscope. Behind him the spectrograph is running something.
NICK
Hey, Henry.
Henry looks up.
NICK (CONT'D)
Aren't
you supposed to be at the hospital?
HENRY
Jason's in
surgery for a few hours.
I needed something to do.
Nick approaches him. Henry covers his notes with a case file and leans in front of the microscope. That makes Nick suspicious.
NICK
Are you supposed
to even be here?
HENRY
I work here,
don't I?
Nick's suspicion grows.
HENRY (CONT'D)
There
was a stuffed dog in my
parent's car. It's made out of
pieces
of cloth, one of its button
eyes is missing. Do you have it?
Nick nods.
HENRY (CONT'D)
Could
you maybe push it through?
It's one of our favorites.
NICK
Our favorites?
HENRY
I mean Jason's
favorites. My
brother's. He always sleeps with it.
NICK
I'll see what I
can do.
Henry nods. Then offers a plastic smile.
HENRY
Well. Back to
work, huh?
Nick doesn't move and neither does Henry. Nick nods a little, then turns and leaves.
INT. CSI - CHEM LAB - MOMENTS LATER
Catherine enters and grabs Henry's coat off the coat rack inside the door. She walks over to him as he's covering his notes and moving in front of the microscope. She reaches around him and switches off the microscope light, and she holds his coat out to him.
CATHERINE
You broke
protocol once by
accident; the second time
intentionally. I
need you to
understand that and leave. If you
argue with me,
I'm suspending you. Understand?
HENRY
You can't--
CATHERINE
Suspension?
A week? Two? How long?
Henry stares at her. He glances at Nick standing outside the door. He's watching the floor, pretending to ignore them.
CATHERINE (CONT'D)
Henry.
Leave. Now.
He looks up at her.
HENRY
I can help.
CATHERINE
No, Henry,
you can't.
He doesn't move. She squeezes his shoulder.
CATHERINE (CONT'D)
We
will find out who did this. We
will have them arrested. They will
go to trial. But do you know what a
lawyer worth his or her
salt will
do if they found out you processed
evidence on this
case?
He doesn't answer.
CATHERINE (CONT'D)
They
will move to have the evidence
considered omissible because you
may have tampered with it to get a
desired prosecution. Do
you know
what will happen then?
He slowly shakes his head.
CATHERINE (CONT'D)
Your
parent's killer will go
unpunished. Is that what you want?
He shakes his head. She offers his coat to him again.
CATHERINE (CONT'D)
Nick
volunteered to take you to the
hospital, and I do not want to see
you back here again tonight. Understood?
He looks down at his coat. Henry stands, brushing her hand away. He pulls off his lab coat and exchanges it for his coat. Without speaking, he and Nick head down the corridor. Catherine watches them until they've turned a corner out of sight.
She looks at the lab coat, running her finger over 'Andrews' embroidered on it. She looks up as Greg passes by.
CATHERINE (CONT'D)
Hey
Greg.
Greg turns and comes back.
GREG
Yeah?
CATHERINE
What are you
working on right now?
GREG
Nothing right
now. The next four
cars won't be here for another
hour.
What's up?
Catherine walks over to the door. She hangs up Henry's lab coat with a certain amount of care -- Greg notices but he says nothing. She turns to him, locking eyes with him.
CATHERINE
(hushed)
Over
there are Henry's notes.
She nods with her head in the general direction.
CATHERINE (CONT'D)
Make
his notes and test results
your own. Then destroy all evidence
he was ever on the case.
GREG
Consider his work
mine.
She pats his arm as she leaves. Greg grabs a lab coat from the rack and gets to work.
FADE OUT.
END OF ACT ONE
