oldEpisode Two-hundred-eighty-four: It
Is the Day Jo Is to Leave for Bayview,
Jack Tries, but Is Unable to Open up
to Her about His Feelings for Her.

[Air date mid-May 1991]
 
SCENE ONE: IT IS THE NEXT DAY AND JO IS SCHEDULED TO GO TO BAYVIEW. JACK IS BUSY TRYING TO WORK AT HIS OFFICE WHEN JENNIFER ENTERS.

 

JENNIFER: Jack what are you doing?

 

HE IS FIDDLING WITH THE BUTTONS ON HIS FAX MACHINE.

 

JACK: Obviously having a little bit of trouble with overseas connections.

 

HE PRESSES THE START BUTTON AGAIN AND IT BEGINS TO WORK.

 

JACK: Oh, good, at least I'm not going to have to use a courier pigeon.

JENNIFER: Have you forgotten about Jo?

JACK: No I have not forgotten about Jo.

JENNIFER: Well we should get going. We don't have much time before they take her to Bayview and if we don't leave right away, we're going to miss her Jack.

JACK: We're just going to have to miss her. I'm not going.

JENNIFER: What do you mean, you're not going Jack?

JACK: I'm not going.

JENNIFER: I can't believe you're not going to say goodbye to Jo. She is your mother.

JACK: I am working. I'm busy.

JENNIFER: Vern can take care of your work.

JACK: No Vern cannot do this.

JENNIFER: Why not? What is so special about this that Vern cannot take care of it?

JACK: This has to do with the Lawrence situation alright. Someone has to do some fast footwork if we're going to get something on Lawrence before this trial.

JENNIFER: Well what do you think you're going to be able to do?

JACK: I don't know what I'm going to be able to do alright. What I just know is that I have to do something. I have to.... check into the background of this letter and find out....

JENNIFER: We already know this letter is not going to help us. It's only going to make things worse.

JACK: Only if it's true. Let's just suppose, just for a second, that maybe only half of it is true. Who knows what the other half can tell us.

JENNIFER: Well the possibilities are endless Jack.

JACK: Precisely! That's why I'm going to send a facsimile of this letter to a close personal friend who owes me a couple of favors. A close personal friend who has an inside track into international affairs, who hopefully will be able to tell us what's going on with this letter and if it is true.

JENNIFER: I know what you're doing Jack.

JACK: Oh good, then I don't have to repeat myself.

JENNIFER: No, that's not what I'm talking about. I'm talking about why you're so driven like this. It's your way of helping Jo, isn't it?

JACK: Well if it helps Jo, that's all for the better.

JENNIFER: Jack, I'm sure that she would appreciate it. She wants to get Lawrence just as much as we do. Okay. But there are other ways to help her right now. She needs you today. (Beat) You need her too.

JACK: You know something, you're right. I do need her. I do. You know I have this terrible waxy build-up on my kitchen floors and I need some advice on how to get rid of it.

 

JENNIFER GRABS HIS ARM AND PULLS HIM TOWARDS THE DOOR.

 

JENNIFER: That's.... come on Jack.

JACK: It's true. It looks terrible. It looks like....

JENNIFER: Just come with me.

JACK: I just.... alright, wait a minute. Just wait a minute, alright. I just have to.... take care of the rest of the fax. I can't leave the fax running, you know. Money, money.... can't just let it burn.

JENNIFER: Jack?

JACK: What?

JENNIFER: Come on.

JACK: Alright.

 

HE WALKS TO THE DOOR.

 

JACK: Right.

SCENE TWO: JACK AND JENNIFER ARRIVE AT NEIL'S HOUSE TO SAY GOODBYE TO JO.
oldEp284A
JENNIFER: Hi Neil.

JACK: Hello Neil.

JENNIFER: Hi Jo.

JO: Hi.

JACK: I'm sorry we're late. We kind of lost track of time. I mean you know how it is with these cheap knock-off watches.... oh.... it's Adrienne's, sorry.

JO: (Jo laughs) That's okay Jack, I understand.

NEIL: Well I'll give you some time alone.

JENNIFER: Um.... I'll go with you.

JACK: Ah no, no you won't. I mean you don't.... you don't have to.

JENNIFER: I think it's best Jack.

JACK: No. Really.

JENNIFER: For both of you.

NEIL: I'll talk to you both before you leave.

 

JENNIFER LEAVES WITH NEIL.

 

JACK: Aye....

 

HE TRIES TO ACT DISTRACTED BY LOOKING AT SOME ROSES IN A VASE.

 

JO: Are you going to be okay son?

JACK: Me? Oh yeah, I'll be fine, I'll be great, I'll be.... me and.... ah....

JO: And.... and?

JACK: And.... ah.... I think there's something that I need to tell you before they.... before they take you away. (Beat) I just wanted to say that....

JO: What Jack?

JACK: It's.... ah.... Steve....

JO: What about Steve?
oldEp284C

JACK:
I wasn't just planning on forgetting him and how he died. I wasn't just going to forget about him.

JO: Please don't tell me that you're still thinking about going to go after Lawrence, please.

JACK: Well I'm.... just can't just walk away from him after everything that's happened.

JO: I know.... I know. I couldn't walk away from Nick either but look what's happened to me. I don't want the same thing to happen to you son. I want you to be happy.

 

SHE RUBS HIS ARM.

 

JACK: He's.... he's walking around.... happy and alive.... while Steve is.... I mean neither of us, we never really said that life was fair but I mean.... this just isn't right.

JO: Listening to you talk....

JACK: I mean it really isn't.

JO: .... just listening to you, you know you sound like your brother. He'd be so proud of you.

JACK: You know something Bayview is not such a bad place when it really comes down to it. I stayed there, unofficially of course. Just a couple of things. Just stay away from the jackets with the long sleeves and their meat loaf is horrendous. I mean totally.... I mean really, it sticks to you ribs. It does.

 

SHE SMILES.

 

JO: I'm going to miss you.
oldEp284D
JACK: And I shall miss your advice, unsolicited though it may be. And your.... your house cleaning skills are bar none, second to none. I mean the way that you hold a dust mop and do a window is nothing like it.

JO: Is what you're trying to tell me, that you're going to miss me too.

JACK: Something like that.
NEIL AND JENNIFER COME BACK IN THE ROOM.

 

NEIL: Jo, I'm sorry, the people from Bayview are here.

JO: Yes, yes.

 

SHE TAKES THE GLASS JACK IS HOLDING AND PUTS IN BACK IN PLACE. SHE TRIES TO TIDY UP AND KEEP THINGS JUST RIGHT BUT IS REALLY STALLING FOR TIME AND TRYING TO PRETEND THINGS ARE NORMAL. JACK IS VERY WORRIED.

 

JACK: I....

NURSE: It's time to go Mrs. Johnson.

JO: Yes, I know, I know. (Beat) Okay.
oldEp284F
JENNIFER: Goodbye Mrs. Johnson. I'll come and visit you.
oldEp284G

JACK:
I may.... I may tag along from time to time.

JO: Thank you son.

JENNIFER: Take care of yourself Mrs. Johnson.

 

JO IS DISTRACTED LOOKING AT JACK.

 

JO: Oh I will.... you too, you too.

 

SHE WHISPERS IN JENNIFER'S EAR.

 

JO: Listen take good care of that son of mine, you hear me.

JENNIFER: Oh don't worry about that, I will. I definitely will.
oldEp284H

NEIL: Jo.

 

JACK HAS MOVED AWAY AND IS HALF SITTING ON A TABLE AND LOOKING LIKE HE IS ABOUT TO CRY, LOST AND FORLORN. JO GIVES NEIL A HUG.
oldEp284I
SHE WALKS OVER TO JACK. SHE RAPS HER ARMS AROUND HIS NECK.
oldEp284J
JO: Goodbye son.

JACK: Oh yeah.

 

SHE BRUSHES THE HAIR OFF HIS FOREHEAD THEN SHE LOOKS HIM IN THE EYES.
oldEp284K

JO: I love you. (Beat) And I will always love you.
oldEp284L
NURSE: Come on Mrs. Johnson.

 

JO HURRIES OUT BUT FIRST SIGNALS JENNIFER TO GO TO JACK.

 

JENNIFER: Are you going to be alright?
oldEp284M

JACK:
Oh I'd say that's a relative term, wouldn't you? (Beat) I couldn't do it. I couldn't.... I just couldn't tell her.

JENNIFER: But it's okay Jack because she knows.

 

JACK IS NOT SO SURE OF THAT.
oldEp284N

SCENE THREE: THEY RETURN TO THE OFFICE WHERE JENNIFER GETS A CALL FROM HER LAWYER. SHE IS ON THE PHONE.

 

JENNIFER: Right, thanks Glynnis. Bye.

JACK: So what's up?

JENNIFER: The trial date's been set. It's in four weeks.

JACK: Well it's not to worry. We'll have what we need by then.

 

JACK IS TRYING TO REASSURE HER BUT IS NOT SO SURE HIMSELF.

 

JACK: I better call and see if my man has got any information on that letter.

JENNIFER: Jack you seem so sure that there's going to be some new information but what's in that letter is true and Lawrence finds out about it, it could blow the whole case.

JACK: Well that's all the more reason to find out if it's true, isn't it?

 

JACK PICKS UP THE PHONE.

SCENE FOUR: A BIT LATER HE IS FINISHING HIS PHONE CALL.

 

JACK: Oh well.... yeah, muchas gracias Herve, yeah thanks for nothing. You still owe me alright.

JENNIFER: What did he say? Is that stuff in the letter about Lawrence true or not?

JACK: Apparently it's all factual.

 

JENNIFER IS UPSET.

 

JENNIFER: Oh I'm never going to win this trial Jack.

JACK: We don't know that for sure.

JENNIFER: Well it's going to make it all that much harder.

JACK: Well I tell you what, we're just going to have to destroy the letter so that Lawrence can never get his hands on it.

JENNIFER: What are we going to do? We thought we were going to be able to use that letter against Lawrence and now we can't.

JACK: Well there must be something else that we can do to get something on him.

JENNIFER: What, there's nothing we can do.

JACK: Look there's got to be someway or somewhere we can go to get something. Some kind of real evidence.... something.

 

JACK IS THINKING.

 

JENNIFER: Where are we going to get real evidence Jack?

JACK: I can only think of one place to go. (Beat) We're going to have to go back to Lawrence's villa.

JENNIFER: Are you kidding me? You want us to go back to Lawrence's country Jack?

JACK: I didn't.... it's not that I want to go back there but that's the only thing that we can do.

JENNIFER: Well what are you expecting to find there? There is no evidence. It's going to be my word against his.

JACK: Unless there's somebody else.

JENNIFER: What are you talking about, somebody else?

JACK: Maybe a witness.

JENNIFER: There was nobody else there. It was Lawrence and me Jack.

JACK: But if.... you said that you screamed.

JENNIFER: Yeah I did. Nobody heard me.

JACK: Well maybe.... I can't believe that. I mean the place was crawling with guards and servants. There must have been someone.

JENNIFER: Well if there was somebody they didn't do anything about it. (Beat) Nobody showed up Jack.

JACK: Just because they didn't.... show up then doesn't mean they wouldn't.... this time.

JENNIFER: Why would they?

JACK: Because they know what happened. And they.... and they know that Lawrence shouldn't get away with it. Not even their boss Lawrence.

JENNIFER: So then my only choice is to get a witness?

JACK: (Beat) No, you don't have to do this. Let me worry about it. I'll do it. Let me take care of it. You stay here.

JENNIFER: Jack I want to do it.

JACK: No, you....

JENNIFER: I am going to do it too.

JACK: You're sure about that.

JENNIFER: Yes, I'm sure. As long as you're with me I'll be fine. I will. I'll be okay.

 

SHE PUTS HER ARMS AROUND JACK FOR SUPPORT AND COMFORT.

oldEp284O

JACK:
Well if you're so confident about this, I guess I have to.... promise you that.... it's...it's going to be different this time. (Beat) It's going to be different.

 

[Transcribed by Carol Vaughan
added material by Sally A. Wilson]