INT. POLICE STATION BULL PEN - DAY
Bo and Nora are busy going over a file when Matthew bursts into the room.
MATTHEW
Hi mom! Hi dad!
BO
Hey sport!
Hustling to his dad Matthew jumps to throw him a high five.
NORA
Hi sweetie. Where's Mary Anne?
MATTHEW
She's coming. She was behind me
but I was going too fast.
NORA
I'll go tell her thanks.
Nora heads down the hall to catch Mary Anne while Bo and Matthew talk.
MATTHEW
(motioning to the file in Bo's hand)
What's that?
BO
This? It's just a file for a case that
your mom and I have been working
on.
MATTHEW
Oh. You and mom work on lots of
cases huh?
BO
Yeah we get pretty busy.
MATTHEW
Do you like it?
BO
The cases?
MATTHEW
Working with mom.
BO
Sure I do. She's a lot of fun you know.
MATTHEW
I know. She likes working with you
too.
BO
Oh she does does she?
Matthew nods.
BO
And how do you know that?
MATTHEW
(shrugging his shoulders)
Just do.
NORA
(coming back into the bull pen)
Ok sport, we've got to get going.
Where did he go?
Bo turns to where Matthew had been standing to realize he isn't there.
BO
He was just here.
NORA
Oh boy.
BO
What?
NORA
I'll tell you it's the same thing every
time.
BO
I'm lost.
NORA
Matthew has a dentist appointment.
Bo winces.
NORA
He hates the dentist. Poor little guy is
scared to death of him. I put it off for
as long as I could but he starts school
next week and - Come to think of it
someone else I know has a mortal fear
of the old tooth doctor.
Bo is embarrassed.
NORA
Well, now I know where he gets it from.
I better go find him. Marci, did you see
where Matthew went?
Pointing underneath the desk across the room Marci draws attention to Matthew's
sneaker clad shoe poking out into the light.
MARCI
No ADA Buchanan.
Making his way over to the other side of the desk Bo crouches down to talk with
his son.
BO
Hey pal.
MATTHEW
Hi.
BO
What ya up to?
MATTHEW
Nothin'.
BO
You know that your mom's out
there waiting for you.
MATTHEW
Yeah.
BO
Not a fan of the dentist eh?
Matthew shakes his head.
BO
Can I tell you a little secret? Your
old dad doesn't care too much for
the dentist himself.
MATTHEW
You're scared of the dentist too?
BO
Terrified.
MATTHEW
Really?
BO
Yep.
MATTHEW
But your mom still made you go?
BO
Yeah, she did. As a matter of fact,
your mom even made me go.
MATTHEW
She did?
BO
Uh huh.
MATTHEW
But you were still scared?
BO
I was, but I thought of a little trick.
MATTHEW
What was it?
BO
Every time I had to go to the dentist
and I felt a little scared, I would close
my eyes and think myself back to a
time when I was so happy and laughed
so hard I thought my stomach would
explode.
MATTHEW
Like what?
BO
You want to know what I thought about?
Matthew nods.
BO
Ok. There was this time when your
mom and I had to drive out to Harrisburg
and on the way back, all of the sudden the
traffic on the freeway just stops.
MATTHEW
What did you do?
BO
We waited and we waited and we waited.
There were cars all around us, there was
nowhere we could go, we were both
starving and we still didn't even know
why we were there.
Matthew just stares at Bo.
BO
Anyway, we were both getting a little
bit cranky and were kind of starting to
get on each others nerves a little bit
when all of the sudden, out of nowhere
your mom -
(Bo starts to chuckle at the memory)
looks at me and starts laughing like
crazy.
MATTHEW
What was she laughing at?
BO
I thought she was laughing at me and
I was trying to figure out what it was.
She was laughing so hard she couldn't
tell me so I was getting kind of up-
set. Finally, she got herself under
control enough to point and tell me
to look out my window. So I turn, not
knowing what I'm about to see and -
(laughing again)
the guy in the passenger seat in the
car stuck next to us has fallen asleep
with his head against the window and
his toupee is stuck to the glass, sliding
up the window as his head slides down
it.
Bo starts to laugh but Matthew just looks at him confused. Regaining his
composer Bo continues with the story. Neither one of them has noticed
that Nora has appeared at the edge of the desk. She can see them but
they can't see her.
BO
Anyway. Just as I look over, the man
wakes up and starts to look around and
his hair -
(laughs again)
is stuck to the side of his head like this.
Bo can barely contain himself as he shows Matthew where the man's hair
ended up. He is still chucking and Nora is doing her best not to loose it
and laugh too.
BO
We both laughed so hard I didn't think
I'd be able to drive.
(a beat)
What? You don't think that's funny?
Matthew shakes his head.
MATTHEW
What do you think about now?
Bo thinks for a minute then is surprised when he realizes -
BO
The same thing.
Nora's a little surprised too.
MATTHEW
You still think about the same story?
BO
Yeah. You know what I do.
Matthew thinks for a minute.
MATTHEW
Ok. I got one.
BO
You do?
MATTHEW
Uh huh.
BO
Good. Now you just think of that
when you get afraid and it will all
go away.
Matthew smiles at his dad.
BO
And if that doesn't work you just
remember that you've got an old
man here who loves you and won't
ever let anyone hurt you ok?
MATTHEW
I love you too.
BO
What do you say we go find mom?
She isn't sure where you are and
might me getting worried.
Hearing that Nora wipes the tear that has formed in her eye and moves back to
where she had been standing before.
MATTHEW
Ok.
(thinking)
Dad?
BO
Yeah?
MATTHEW
Could we not tell mom that I was scared,
she thinks I'm always brave.
BO
(smiling)
Sure, we'll just keep it between us.
The boys emerge from under the desk and Nora does her best to act as if
everything is normal.
NORA
Hey guys. You ready to go sport?
MATTHEW
Yep. By dad.
Matthew hugs Bo.
BO
Bye buddy. You remember what I
told you.
MATTHEW
I will.
Bo and Nora are busy going over a file when Matthew bursts into the room.
MATTHEW
Hi mom! Hi dad!
BO
Hey sport!
Hustling to his dad Matthew jumps to throw him a high five.
NORA
Hi sweetie. Where's Mary Anne?
MATTHEW
She's coming. She was behind me
but I was going too fast.
NORA
I'll go tell her thanks.
Nora heads down the hall to catch Mary Anne while Bo and Matthew talk.
MATTHEW
(motioning to the file in Bo's hand)
What's that?
BO
This? It's just a file for a case that
your mom and I have been working
on.
MATTHEW
Oh. You and mom work on lots of
cases huh?
BO
Yeah we get pretty busy.
MATTHEW
Do you like it?
BO
The cases?
MATTHEW
Working with mom.
BO
Sure I do. She's a lot of fun you know.
MATTHEW
I know. She likes working with you
too.
BO
Oh she does does she?
Matthew nods.
BO
And how do you know that?
MATTHEW
(shrugging his shoulders)
Just do.
NORA
(coming back into the bull pen)
Ok sport, we've got to get going.
Where did he go?
Bo turns to where Matthew had been standing to realize he isn't there.
BO
He was just here.
NORA
Oh boy.
BO
What?
NORA
I'll tell you it's the same thing every
time.
BO
I'm lost.
NORA
Matthew has a dentist appointment.
Bo winces.
NORA
He hates the dentist. Poor little guy is
scared to death of him. I put it off for
as long as I could but he starts school
next week and - Come to think of it
someone else I know has a mortal fear
of the old tooth doctor.
Bo is embarrassed.
NORA
Well, now I know where he gets it from.
I better go find him. Marci, did you see
where Matthew went?
Pointing underneath the desk across the room Marci draws attention to Matthew's
sneaker clad shoe poking out into the light.
MARCI
No ADA Buchanan.
Making his way over to the other side of the desk Bo crouches down to talk with
his son.
BO
Hey pal.
MATTHEW
Hi.
BO
What ya up to?
MATTHEW
Nothin'.
BO
You know that your mom's out
there waiting for you.
MATTHEW
Yeah.
BO
Not a fan of the dentist eh?
Matthew shakes his head.
BO
Can I tell you a little secret? Your
old dad doesn't care too much for
the dentist himself.
MATTHEW
You're scared of the dentist too?
BO
Terrified.
MATTHEW
Really?
BO
Yep.
MATTHEW
But your mom still made you go?
BO
Yeah, she did. As a matter of fact,
your mom even made me go.
MATTHEW
She did?
BO
Uh huh.
MATTHEW
But you were still scared?
BO
I was, but I thought of a little trick.
MATTHEW
What was it?
BO
Every time I had to go to the dentist
and I felt a little scared, I would close
my eyes and think myself back to a
time when I was so happy and laughed
so hard I thought my stomach would
explode.
MATTHEW
Like what?
BO
You want to know what I thought about?
Matthew nods.
BO
Ok. There was this time when your
mom and I had to drive out to Harrisburg
and on the way back, all of the sudden the
traffic on the freeway just stops.
MATTHEW
What did you do?
BO
We waited and we waited and we waited.
There were cars all around us, there was
nowhere we could go, we were both
starving and we still didn't even know
why we were there.
Matthew just stares at Bo.
BO
Anyway, we were both getting a little
bit cranky and were kind of starting to
get on each others nerves a little bit
when all of the sudden, out of nowhere
your mom -
(Bo starts to chuckle at the memory)
looks at me and starts laughing like
crazy.
MATTHEW
What was she laughing at?
BO
I thought she was laughing at me and
I was trying to figure out what it was.
She was laughing so hard she couldn't
tell me so I was getting kind of up-
set. Finally, she got herself under
control enough to point and tell me
to look out my window. So I turn, not
knowing what I'm about to see and -
(laughing again)
the guy in the passenger seat in the
car stuck next to us has fallen asleep
with his head against the window and
his toupee is stuck to the glass, sliding
up the window as his head slides down
it.
Bo starts to laugh but Matthew just looks at him confused. Regaining his
composer Bo continues with the story. Neither one of them has noticed
that Nora has appeared at the edge of the desk. She can see them but
they can't see her.
BO
Anyway. Just as I look over, the man
wakes up and starts to look around and
his hair -
(laughs again)
is stuck to the side of his head like this.
Bo can barely contain himself as he shows Matthew where the man's hair
ended up. He is still chucking and Nora is doing her best not to loose it
and laugh too.
BO
We both laughed so hard I didn't think
I'd be able to drive.
(a beat)
What? You don't think that's funny?
Matthew shakes his head.
MATTHEW
What do you think about now?
Bo thinks for a minute then is surprised when he realizes -
BO
The same thing.
Nora's a little surprised too.
MATTHEW
You still think about the same story?
BO
Yeah. You know what I do.
Matthew thinks for a minute.
MATTHEW
Ok. I got one.
BO
You do?
MATTHEW
Uh huh.
BO
Good. Now you just think of that
when you get afraid and it will all
go away.
Matthew smiles at his dad.
BO
And if that doesn't work you just
remember that you've got an old
man here who loves you and won't
ever let anyone hurt you ok?
MATTHEW
I love you too.
BO
What do you say we go find mom?
She isn't sure where you are and
might me getting worried.
Hearing that Nora wipes the tear that has formed in her eye and moves back to
where she had been standing before.
MATTHEW
Ok.
(thinking)
Dad?
BO
Yeah?
MATTHEW
Could we not tell mom that I was scared,
she thinks I'm always brave.
BO
(smiling)
Sure, we'll just keep it between us.
The boys emerge from under the desk and Nora does her best to act as if
everything is normal.
NORA
Hey guys. You ready to go sport?
MATTHEW
Yep. By dad.
Matthew hugs Bo.
BO
Bye buddy. You remember what I
told you.
MATTHEW
I will.
