oldEpisode Five-hundred-twenty-two: Jack
Has a Romantic Surprise Jennifer as She
Covers the High School Dance for her Show.
However, Their Night Is Upset When
They Get News That Abby Is Seriously Ill.

[Air date late May, 1993]

 

SCENE ONE: LATER THE SAME NIGHT, JENNIFER IS AT THE HIGH SCHOOL DANCING TAPING A SEGMENT FOR HER SHOW, SHE IS TALKING TO THE CAMERAMAN. SHE LOOMS OVER AND SEES JACK WALK, IN WEARING A DINNER SUIT AND CARRYING A CORSAGE. HE BOWS TO HER. SHE RUNS OVER TO HIM.

 

JENNIFER: Jack!

JACK: Hello, good to see you here.

JENNIFER: What are you doing here?
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JACK: Well I'm here to make up for all those sad adolescent memories, those great dances you never made it to, those good times you so deserved and still deserve if I may say so myself.

JENNIFER: Look at you, you wore a tux and everything. You look very handsome.

JACK: Yes. Thank you. I foolishly thought the other gentlemen would be wearing the same. Speaking of wearing, this is for you. I believe it goes right here on the wrist.

JENNIFER: Jack, I love this.

JACK: You're welcome.

JENNIFER: I love you.

JACK: I love you.

 

THEY KISS TENDERLY.

SCENE TWO: THEY BEGIN TO DANCE.

 

JACK: You see the important thing is being able to move to the music like this.

JENNIFER: So how did you manage this? Obviously Jo didn't have any plans tonight.

JACK: Well Jo.... what are we talking about here. The others aren't talking about babies and baby sitters. At least we hope they're not. No they're talking about things like.... dipping.... dipping.

 

HE TURNS HER OVER INTO A LOW DIP ALMOST ON THE FLOOR.

 

JACK: See like that. I see I better watch that skirt or you're going to give these high school boys an education.

JENNIFER: Stop it. You know this night was supposed to be work for me and you turned it into a dream come true.

JACK: What do you mean? This is only part of it.

JENNIFER: What do mean, part of it? What's the other part?

JACK: It's only part of it. There's a fully stocked limo waiting downstairs and if you want to blow this house we can. We can do down there and.... stay in the limo for a while.

JENNIFER: What do you want, to make out with me?

JACK: Sssssh! It's nothing so sophomoric. Of course it wouldn't be a high school dance if people didn't go parking afterwards, would it?

JENNIFER: You think you're going to get lucky tonight, don't you?

JACK: Oh I know I'm going to get lucky. Watch this.

 

HE DIPS HER AGAIN.

SCENE THREE: A WHILE LATER, JACK GOES TO THE BAR AND PICKS UP A SOFT DRINK AND IS SNIFFING IT WHEN KATE COMES OVER.

 

KATE: Jack, I didn't expect to see you here.

JACK: I didn't expect to be here but I am. But it's not for business. I'm here on a date with my wife.

KATE: Well I won't keep you. I just wondered about your decision about The Spectator.

JACK: I thought I gave you my decision. My decision was to not accept your position. To not have anything to do with Victor Kiriakis. Excuse me.

KATE: Jack, have you given any thought to what you're giving up?
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JACK: I don't have to think about it anymore. I have made my decision. It took me a little while to realize it but I finally realized that my wife and I are working together on this. We're a team. That means we're going to make it together. Excuse me.

 

JACK RETURNS TO JENNIFER. HE BEGINS TO DANCE WITH JENNIFER.

SCENE FOUR: AFTER A SHORT WHILE JACK WANTS TO LEAVE.

 

JACK: Well are you ready to blow this place and go parking with me?

JENNIFER: Go parking? Yeah. I'll go parking with you.

JACK: Yes. Okay. Good, good. Are you sure you got all the footage you need?

JENNIFER: Oh yes. The cameraman is shooting as we speak.

 

THE CAMERAMAN COMES OVER TO THEM.

 

CAMERAMAN: Jack, Jennifer.

JACK: Maybe not.

CAMERAMAN: You got a phone call. It sounds important.

 

HE HANDS HER THE CELL PHONE.

 

JENNIFER: Hello. (Beat) Jo? (Beat) What?

JACK: What is it? What does she want?
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JENNIFER: The baby has a fever. (Beat) Um, okay.

JACK: She has what?

JENNIFER: Oh gosh that is high. Um.... we'll be right there. Bye.

JACK: What is it?

JENNIFER: Baby has a fever. We've got to go.

JACK: Don't forget this.

 

JACK GRABS HIS PHONE AND THEY RUSH OUT.

SCENE FIVE: JACK AND JENNIFER ARE IN THE CAR ON THE WAY HOME TO ABBY.

 

JENNIFER: Jack, can't you hurry?

JACK: We are going 70 miles an hour and we're not going to be of any use to anyone if we crash the car.

JENNIFER: You're right. You're right. It's so ridiculous of us to over-react. I mean it's silly to panic. 103 fever is not that high for a baby.

JACK: Absolutely. It's fairly common, isn't it?

JENNIFER: Yes I read it in the book that they can get a fever that high when they're teething, when they have a cold. So there is no reason to panic.

 

THEY ARE BOTH SCARED STIFF.

 

JACK: And we also have.... I mean Jo's back there and she's probably had plenty of experience with this sort of thing. She'll be able to handle it until we get there.

JENNIFER: God we are so lucky to have Jo. We are so lucky to have her watch Abby. She's the best.

JACK: You can say that again.

 

JACK GLANCES OVER AT JENNIFER.

 

JACK: Come on. It's going to be all right. We're going to be home in just a minute. It'll be all right.

JENNIFER: I know. I know.


SCENE SIX: BACK AT THE HOUSE, JO IS PACING WITH ABBY WHILE VERN LOOKS ON. JACK AND JENNIFER ARRIVE.

 

JENNIFER: Jo.

JO: Oh thank goodness.

 

JENNIFER TAKES ABBY.

 

JACK: How is she?

JO: Jennifer, I have tried everything I can think of to get her fever down and nothing seems to work.

JENNIFER: Oh my gosh, she's burning up. She's burning up.

VERN: Listen, Jo's been giving her sips of cold water. She even gave her an alcohol bath.

JO: Thank goodness Vern came by for a visit. I would have gone out of my mind waiting for you guys to come home.
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VERN: Listen I raised three of my own and at times like this you just have to keep a cool head.

JACK: I'm calling the param.... the baby doctor. I'm calling the baby doctor, the pediatrician.

JO: I already tried. She's out of town at some kind of seminar or something.

JENNIFER: We have to call someone because this is more than teething and she definitely doesn't have a cold.

JACK: It's all right. I know exactly who to call. I know exactly who to call.

 

JACK MAKES HIS CALL. JENNIFER TRIES TO GIVE ABBY A BOTTLE TO CALM HER DOWN.

SCENE SEVEN: AFTER HE IS THROUGH, JACK SITS AND WAITS WITH VERN.

 

JACK: Is she drinking?

JENNIFER: Yes, she's drinking a lot.

 

THERE IS A LOUD KNOCK AT THE DOOR.

 

JACK: Drinking.... oh good, good. I'll get it. I'll get it.

 

HE OPENS THE DOOR TO ALICE AND TOM.

 

ALICE: How is she?

JACK: She's all right, I think.

JENNIFER: Her fever is very high.

TOM: How high?

JENNIFER: It's 103 and a half.

JO: I tried everything I could to bring that fever down and nothing worked.

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TOM: Well let's take her upstairs to have a look at her, all right.

JENNIFER: Okay, come on.

 

TOM AND JENNIFER GO UPSTAIRS WITH ABBY.

 

ALICE: Now Jack, Jack dear, you should know that babies will run a high fever over nothing.

JACK: Yes but something should bring it out. Something should do that.

ALICE: Well, Tom's taking her upstairs. We'll know very soon if it's anything serious.

JACK: Well in any event I appreciate you coming over. I know it's late.

ALICE: Don't you ever hesitate to call us. Jennifer's grandfather has been doing house calls for over forty years and he's not going to stop now especially when it's his precious great grandbaby.

 

JENNIFER COMES BACK DOWN.

 

JENNIFER: Okay, she's with grandpa.

ALICE: Darling I know how worried you are but.... it's just that they're so little and they're so helpless.

JACK: It.... it.... it's just that she's not old enough. She can't tell us what's wrong or where it hurts, that's all.
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JENNIFER: She doesn't seem to be in any kind of pain. I just can't imagine what it could be.

ALICE: Darling, we'll know very soon.

JO: I was scared to death when I went into change her and she was running this fever.

VERN: Listen Jack, it's always more scary when it's the first one. By the time the third one comes along you just take it in your stride.

JACK: Absolutely. You're absolutely right. It's just because it's the first, that's all.

 

HE HOLDS JENNIFER'S SHOULDERS BUT NEITHER OF THEM ARE CONVINCED OF WHAT HE IS SAYING.

 

JENNIFER: Maybe I should go up and check.

JACK: No. No, listen your grandfather's a doctor. He's going to do whatever is necessary. You stay right here.

ALICE: Darling, Tom will tell us as soon as he's knows what the trouble is.

JENNIFER: I know, I know. Um, Jo and Vern, you don't have to stay. You must be exhausted.

JO: Jennifer, I am not going to leave you here like this.

JENNIFER: We're fine. We're fine. We're going to be okay, really.

VERN: Jack, will you call me when you find out....

JACK: Yes Vern, absolutely. I will. Thank you for asking.

 

JO GOES OVER TO JACK AND HUGS HIM.

 

JO: Try not to worry so much sweetheart. Babies are very resilient, aren't they Alice?

ALICE: Absolutely.

JACK: Absolutely. Everything's going to be all right, absolutely. Let's not worry about a thing. Thank you for coming.

 

HE SHOWS JO AND VERN OUT.

 

JENNIFER: Why is this taking so long? I don't understand.

ALICE: Darling I know how hard this is for you but Jo's right. Babies are very resilient. And Abigail is going to give you many nights like this before she's grown up. And if you blink your eyes, she will be grown.

JACK: She's a fighter. You know that Jennifer. You know that.

 

JACK CANNOT TAKE HIS EYES OFF THE STAIRS.

 

ALICE: Yes she is and soon she'll be a toddler and then she'll really give you fits.

JENNIFER: Oh I'm so glad you're here.

 

TOM COMES DOWN.

 

JACK: Wait, he's coming, he's coming.

 

JACK RUSHES OVER TO HIM.

 

JACK: Doctor, tell us.

JENNIFER: Grandpa, is she all right?

TOM: I'm afraid not. I tried to get her fever down but it's just gone up. She needs to get to the hospital.

 

HE GOES TO THE PHONE.

 

JENNIFER: The hospital? Oh my god.

TOM: I'm going to call the Trauma Center and get a pediatrician there. Get a light blanket. Don't bundle her up though.

JENNIFER: Okay, I'll be right back.

 

JACK IS VERY SCARED.
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JACK: Okay, she's out of the room. You can talk to me. Tell me what's wrong with her.

TOM: Well it could be any number of things. I'd rather not speculate. But she does need attention.

JACK: I don't know. I mean she was.... she was all right when we left. There was nothing wrong with her.

ALICE: Now Jack, don't start blaming yourself and don't start anticipating the worst. We're not going to let anything happen to our little baby girl, you know that.

 

JENNIFER COMES DOWN WITH ABBY.

 

JENNIFER: Okay, let's go. Come on.

 

JACK: (To Tom) We'll meet you out at the car.

JENNIFER: Come on.

JACK: Let's go. Do you have the blanket?

 

THEY RUSH OUTSIDE TO THE CAR.

SCENE EIGHT: A SHORT TIME LATER, THEY ARRIVE THE HOSPITAL. THE NURSE SAYS THE PEDIATRICIAN IS EXPECTING THEM.

 

NURSE: I'll take the baby.

JENNIFER: Wait a minute.

TOM: Jennifer, it's okay. I'll be here.

 

SHE HANDS ABBY TO THE NURSE.

 

JACK: He'll be here. It'll be okay.

JENNIFER: Okay. Bye sweetie.

TOM: There you go Abby. We'll see you later.

 

TOM GOES OFF WITH THE NURSE. ALICE PATS JACK.

 

ALICE: Now why don't we go and see if we can find a cup of tea?

JACK: Jennifer, come on.

 

JACK IS STANDING FIDDLING WITH THE SIGN ON THE WALL WHILE JENNIFER IS SITTING.

 

ALICE: Jennifer, when your father was a baby.... no he was about three, he suddenly became so ill, he scared his father and me to death.

JENNIFER: Why, what was wrong with him?

ALICE: Well he had a terrible stomach ache. He was doubled over in pain. He was crying. Well we thought he had appendicitis and we thought we had to rush him to the hospital.
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JACK:
And.... and what happened?

ALICE: We discovered the source of the problem. He had climbed up on the counter in the kitchen and helped himself to a bowl of donut dough.

 

JACK PULLS A FACE.

 

JACK: Ooooh, that would make me lose my cookies.

 

ALICE LAUGHS.

 

JACK: Or donuts, whatever the case may be, yes.

ALICE: And he was all right in a few hours.

JENNIFER: Sounds like my dad.

 

TOM WALKS TOWARDS THEM.

 

JENNIFER: Grandpa.

JACK: How is she?

JENNIFER: Can we see her? Can we take her home?

TOM: No! No, I'm sorry.

JENNIFER: Wh.... what do you mean? What's wrong?

TOM: Well we're still not sure. Her fever hasn't broken and as long as her temperature's up the doctor wants to keep her here.

ALICE: Oh Tom.

TOM: Dr. Roseman's a fine doctor. He'll make her as comfortable as possible.

JENNIFER: Okay, I want to go in and see her.

TOM: Sweetheart you're going to have to stay here.

ALICE: Yes, I'm afraid you'll just be in the way.
oldEp522I

JACK:
Now wait, why can't she go in there?

JENNIFER: Grandpa if she wakes up and she doesn't see our faces she is going to be so scared.

TOM: You just stay here. She's just on the other side of that wall.

ALICE: And you'll be with her, won't you dear?

TOM: Yes, I will be there with her.

 

TOM GOES BACK TO ABBY.

 

JACK: Um, I.... I just thought of something. I'll be right back.

JENNIFER: Where are you going?

JACK: Don't worry, it's.... I'll be right back.

 

JACK RUNS OFF.

SCENE NINE: A SHORT TIME LATER, JACK RETURNS CARRYING ABBY'S FAVORITE BLANKET.

 

JACK: Here.

JENNIFER: There you are. Where did you go?

JACK: I figured her blanket was out in the car. It's her favorite one.
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JENNIFER:
Oh Jack, thank you.

 

SHE HUGS HIM.

 

JACK: You know it's going to comfort her and.... and....

ALICE: Darling it will I'm sure and it was very thoughtful of you.

JACK: Thank you. Is there any word on her, how she's doing?

ALICE: No we haven't seen Tom. Oh there, he's coming right now.

JACK: Oh good. How's she doing?

TOM: No change. But she's not in any pain. She's just tired and a little fussy from her fever.

JENNIFER: Well Jack went and got her blanket. Do you think we can go in there and kiss her goodnight?

JACK: We think.... we think it will help her sleep.

TOM: Well things have calmed down a little bit. You can go in now.

JENNIFER: Oh thank you grandpa. Thanks grandma.

JACK: You've been better than.... you've been terrific. Thank you.

TOM: We'll be here for a little bit longer.

JACK: All right. (To Jennifer) Don't you worry about a thing, all right. Everything's going to be all right. I'm going to take care of you. I'm going to take care of everybody. Don't worry, okay.

JENNIFER: Okay, come on.

JACK: All right.

 

 

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