ACT TWO

FADE IN:

INT. MIKE'S CAR - MOVING

Sam and Harrison are in back; Mike checks his rear-view
mirror, and notices Harrison looking distinctly queasy.

MIKE
(to Harrison)
You okay?

HARRISON
Everyone keeps asking me that.

SAM
You look terrible.

HARRISON
Well, gee, thanks, Sam. I'm glad
I can always count on your brutal
honesty.

SAM
(laughing)
You'll do fine. Just remember the
fate of the world rests on your
shoulders.

HARRISON
(ironically)
Okay, you're really making me feel
better here.

SAM
Harrison, relax! It's a done
deal—Nicole is going to prison
for a long, long time; this is
just a last-gasp attempt to buy
some sympathy with the jury, and
it's not gonna work.

HARRISON
You're sure it's not gonna work.

SAM
Come on—Nicole can put a up a
good-girl act for, like, maybe ten
minutes. Then everyone sees
through her.

HARRISON
I hope so. I'd hate to think of
helping her stay out of jail.

SAM
NOBODY can help her stay out of
jail, Harrison. Trust me.

CUT TO:

EXT. THE HOSPITAL PARKING LOT - CONTINUOUS

as Mike's car pulls up outside the entrance.

CUT TO:

INT. MIKE'S CAR

SAM
Okay. Harrison, everything is
going to be fine. Really.

She leans over and kisses him, then opens the door and climbs
out.

CUT TO:

EXT. THE HOSPITAL PARKING LOT - CONTINUOUS

Sam waves to Mike as the car pulls away.

CUT TO:

INT. BROOKE'S HOSPITAL ROOM - MOMENTS LATER

Brooke is sitting up in bed when Sam walks in.

SAM
Hi.

BROOKE
Hey—I think I saw you on TV.

SAM
(rolls her eyes)
Please tell me you're kidding.
They didn't really show all that,
did they?

BROOKE
Yeah, they did.
(sighs)
Poor Mary Cherry.

SAM
Honestly, sometimes I really feel
sorry for her. Having a mother
like that.

BROOKE
(reaching)
Well...Lily looked good, anyway.

Sam throws her a strange look but doesn't bother to say
anything.

BROOKE (CONT'D)
So what happened to Mary Cherry?

SAM
Oh... Well, since she didn't
have any money for a hotel, Lily
was gonna take her home with her.

BROOKE
Really? What's with that?

SAM
Don't ask me—I have no idea
what's going on there.

There is a moment of not-quite-awkward silence.

BROOKE
How was Harrison?

SAM
A little high-strung. He's so
worried that he's going to help
Nicole's cause somehow. Believe
me, he couldn't do any worse than
I did.

BROOKE
(to herself)
Maybe I should've told him what
she said...

SAM
Hmm? Nicole said something about
Harrison? What?

BROOKE
Oh—nevermind. It's just too
vicious. Just...she deserves
whatever she gets.

The phone rings, and Sam picks it up and hands it to Brooke.

BROOKE (CONT'D)
(into the phone)
Hello?

INTERCUT WITH:

INT. THE LAB

JOSH
Hey, Brooke.

BROOKE
(grinning)
Josh! How come I don't hear from
you lately?

JOSH
I'm sorry. Usually by the time I
finish talking to Lily, it's too
late to call you. But she tells
me everything.

BROOKE
Well, I'm glad you have your
priorities straight. How are you
doing up there?

JOSH
You know, it's better than I
thought it would be. I mean, it's
not too hard, but I really seem to
know what I'm doing most of the
time.

BROOKE
See? I knew you could do it. You
just had to relax a little.

JOSH
Yeah... Uh, hey, Brooke?

BROOKE
Hmm?

JOSH
Is Sam there? I tried her cell,
but it was turned off.

BROOKE
Oh! Yeah, she's right here.

She hands the phone over to Sam.

SAM
Josh?

JOSH
Hey, Sam? I, uh, kinda need a
favor—but, I need for Lily not to
find out about it.

SAM
(severely)
Josh, you promised—no more
secrets!

JOSH
Oh, no, it's a good secret! I'm
getting Lily a ring. 'Cause, you
know, we couldn't afford one when
we got married.

SAM
Josh! That's so thoughtful!

JOSH
Yeah, the only thing is, I don't
know her ring size. And, you
know, I can't exactly just ask
her.

SAM
Gotcha. I'll find out. Don't
worry—she won't suspect a thing.

JOSH
Thanks, Sam.

SAM
No problem—I need to go over
there and check on her anyway,
make sure Mary Cherry isn't
driving her crazy.

JOSH
(puzzled)
Huh? What about Mary Cherry?

SAM
Ah...nothing. I'm sure
everything'll be back to normal
before you get home.

CUT TO:

INT. JOSH AND LILY'S LIVING ROOM

The front door opens and Lily and Mary Cherry walk in.

MARY CHERRY
...I mean, I can't believe she did
that!

LILY
Mary Cherry, chill out. It's just
a phase, right? She'll calm down,
and everything'll go back to
normal.

MARY CHERRY
But she's never disowned me
before!

LILY
(wearily)
Somehow I find that hard to
believe.

Meanwhile, Mary Cherry is looking around critically.

MARY CHERRY
Lil Lily, how can you stand to
live like this?

LILY
(confused)
Like what?

MARY CHERRY
Like...like THIS! What this place
needs is the Cherry touch.

LILY
Now, hang on, Mary Cherry...

But Mary Cherry already has her cell phone out.

MARY CHERRY
Oh, it's the least I can do!
Don't you worry about a thing!

CUT TO:

EST. THE COURTHOUSE - LATER

CUT TO:

INT. COURTROOM

Harrison is sitting on the witness stand.

DEVENPORT
Mr. John, you have leukemia, is
that correct?

HARRISON
Yes. I'm in remission now.

DEVENPORT
And when were you first diagnosed?

HARRISON
Last October.

DEVENPORT
And you spent several weeks in the
hospital at that time, is that
right?

HARRISON
Yes.

DEVENPORT
In fact, there was a time when
your prognosis wasn't very good at
all.

HARRISON
Yes, the standard treatments
weren't working.

DEVENPORT
I see. So what caused your
disease to go into remission?

HARRISON
I...had a bone marrow transplant.

DEVENPORT
Do you believe that this
transplant saved your life?

JONES
(rising)
Objection—the witness isn't
qualified to render a medical
judgment.

DEVENPORT
You Honor, I think Mr. John is
familiar enough with his own
condition to be able to answer a
general question.

JUDGE HOLMES
Overruled.
(to Harrison)
Answer the question, Mr. John.

HARRISON
I...yeah. Yes.

DEVENPORT
(nodding)
And who was the donor in this
procedure?

HARRISON
(hesitating)
Nicole Julian.

DEVENPORT
Ah... So, Nicole Julian gave her
bone marrow to you in an operation
which saved your life?

HARRISON
(reluctantly)
Yes.

Devenport pauses to let the jury mull that over, strolling
back to his table.

DEVENPORT
Let me turn to something else now.
Do you recall an e-mail you sent
to Nicole earlier this year?

HARRISON
I didn't mean to send that. It
was a mistake.

DEVENPORT
So you do recall it?

HARRISON
(uncomfortably)
Yes.

DEVENPORT
And do you recall what you wrote?

HARRISON
Not...exactly.

DEVENPORT
(picking up a piece of paper)
Well then, let me refresh your
memory.
(to Judge Holmes)
Your Honor, I'd like this marked
as Defense Exhibit five.

JUDGE HOLMES
So ordered.

Devenport carries the paper over and sets it down in front of
Harrison.

DEVENPORT
Would you read the highlighted
portion, please, Mr. John?

HARRISON
(reading haltingly)
You are the biggest bitch I have
ever known... You are the
splinter in a finger that won't
come out... The pus in a pimple
on an otherwise perfect
complexion... If you have
children...

DEVENPORT
Go on, Mr. John.

HARRISON
If you have children...I fear for
their lives...for they will no
doubt turn out to be corrupt,
hideous monsters...just like you.

DEVENPORT
Now, Mr. John—is that, in fact,
what you wrote?

HARRISON
Yeah, but I wrote that before the
transplant.

DEVENPORT
Ah, so this letter represents your
feelings towards Nicole BEFORE she
saved your life?

HARRISON
Yeah...yes.

DEVENPORT
(raising an eyebrow)
Still, she must have been rather
upset to receive something like
that.

HARRISON
Yeah, she was pretty pissed.

DEVENPORT
And what was her reaction,
exactly?

HARRISON
She said that would tell the whole
school about the letter and that I
wrote it.

DEVENPORT
I see... Well, it's been some
time since I attended high school,
but it seems to me that that might
be quite an embarrassment. Fairly
damaging to your reputation?

HARRISON
Yeah, definitely.

DEVENPORT
So, was it? Damaging to your
reputation?

HARRISON
I...she...she didn't do it.

DEVENPORT
She didn't tell anyone about the
letter?

HARRISON
No, she read the letter, she
just...didn't tell anyone who
wrote it.

DEVENPORT
I see.

Devenport takes a wide swing across the front of the jury box.

DEVENPORT (CONT'D)
So, Mr. John, during the past few
months, Nicole Julian's actions
towards you include saving your
life, and shielding you from
public humiliation at her own
expense?

HARRISON
Uh...yes.

DEVENPORT
(nodding)
Nothing further.
(to Jones)
Your witness.

Devenport sits down. Judge Holmes looks at Jones expectantly.

JUDGE HOLMES
Ms. Jones?

Jones, who has been playing with her pen, looks up and opens
her mouth as if to say something, then closes it and shakes
her head.

JONES
No questions, Your Honor.

JUDGE HOLMES
Very well.
(to Harrison)
You may step down, Mr. John.

As Harrison steps out of the witness box and stiffly walks
back to the gallery, studiously avoiding Nicole's smug grin,
the judge checks his notes.

JUDGE HOLMES (CONT'D)
We'll take our afternoon break
here.
(bangs his gavel)
Court is recessed for twenty
minutes!

As the judge leaves, everyone stands and begins to mill about.
Harrison doesn't bother to stop at the gallery, but walks
straight out the courtroom doors. A few moments later Emory,
again wearing the floppy hat and sunglasses, makes his way
across the back row of seats and hurriedly heads out after
him.

FADE OUT.

END OF ACT TWO