oldEpisode Five-hundred-twenty-three:
Abby's Condition Has not Improved
and the Doctors Do not Know
What Is Wrong, Jack and Jennifer
are Terrified with Worry.

---

[Air date early June, 1993]

 

SCENE ONE: JENNIFER HAS BEEN INTO SEE ABBY AND JACK IS WAITING OUTSIDE WHEN SHE COMES OUT.

 

JACK: Well Jennifer, our child is settled in her room then?

JENNIFER: Yeah, I'm glad they let me stay with her. I wish they'd let me stay with her now.

JACK: Well we have to understand that we'd only be in the way if that happened. I mean we have to understand that they know what they're doing. She's getting the best care possible and she's going to be fine.

JENNIFER: I just want to here my grandfather say that she's out of danger.

JACK FACE TURNS WHITE AND SHE BRUSHES HIS CHEEK.

 

JENNIFER: I'm sorry. You need to hear that too, don't you.

 

JACK'S FACE SAYS IT ALL.

SCENE TWO: TOM COMES OUT OF ABBY'S ROOM.

 

JACK: Doctor, how's our child? Has her fever broken yet?

TOM: Abby is better.

JENNIFER: Oh my god.

 

SHE TURNS TO JACK AND SMILES.

 

JENNIFER: Oh that's wonderful. Oh thank you grandpa.

 

SHE GIVES TOM A HUG AS ALICE COMES IN.

 

ALICE: I guess this is good news about Abigail.

JENNIFER: Yes, grandpa says that she's better.

 

JACK FACE LIGHTENS UP A LITTLE AS HE RUBS JENNIFER'S ARMS.

 

ALICE: That is wonderful.

JENNIFER: Oh my gosh I was so worried. Can we take her home?

TOM: No we want to keep her here and keep an eye on her.

JENNIFER: Why? I mean what's wrong with her?

 

JACK LOOKS WORRIED AGAIN TOO.

 

TOM: Well we want to run some tests. We don't know.

JENNIFER: What kind of tests?

TOM: Oh standard diagnostic tests. A blood workup.

JACK: Ah, you feel that that's necessary of course.

TOM: Yes, I think it's important to find out what's causing the fever.

JENNIFER: Well do you think that it's something terrible?

TOM: No, no, now don't be alarmed. We just want to play it safe.

JACK: Certainly. That makes perfect sense Jennifer.

TOM: It could just be a virus that will run its course in a few hours.

NURSE: Excuse me Dr. Horton.

 

THE NURSE BECKONS TOM BACK INTO THE ROOM. JACK AND JENNIFER LOOK SCARED.

 

TOM: Is there a problem?

NURSE: The baby's temperature is up to 104.

TOM: I'll be right there.

JENNIFER: What?

TOM: Abby's temperature is up again.

 

TOM GOES BACK TO THE BABY AND JACK AND JENNIFER STAY FROZEN WITH FEAR.

SCENE THREE: JENNIFER DECIDES TO GET A SECOND OPINION EVEN THOUGH SHE TRUSTS TOM SO SHE CALLS CARLY AND ASKS HER TO COME AND LOOK AT THE BABY AS WELL.

SCENE FOUR: JENNIFER RETURNS.

 

JACK: I thought you were going to stay out in the lounge for a while.

JENNIFER: I decided to get up and move around a little bit.

JACK: Right, well I just saw your grandfather and he said there was no change but that's not a bad thing. Perhaps we'll be able to go in and see her in a little bit.

 

JENNIFER IS DISTRACTED AND DOES NOT WANT TO THINK ABOUT HOW SICK ABBY REALLY IS.

 

JENNIFER: Hmmm my grandma says it's going to rain tomorrow.

JACK: Excuse me?

JENNIFER: There's a 60% chance of rain. And there's this guy at work who wants to give me tomato plants so I was thinking maybe we should plant this little vegetable garden and we could put it under the kitchen window and it would look really pretty.

JACK: Jennifer, wait a minute. Remember who you're talking to. I know you're concerned. I'm concerned too. We're all concerned. But you have to believe me when I tell you it's going to help if we can talk about this. It's going to help if we can talk.

JENNIFER: I can't talk about Abby.... because everytime I do.... (She begins to cry).... I think she's.... my little precious girl lying there helpless.

 

SHE IS SOBBING. JACK TAKES HER IN HIS ARMS TRYING HARD TO FIGHT BACK HIS OWN TEARS.

 

JACK: Look she's not.... she's not going to be helpless, all right. She's going to be just fine.... she's going to be just fine. That's a promise.... a promise.

 

JACK IS HOPING THAT HE CAN KEEP THAT PROMISE. THEY WAIT AND WAIT AT THE HOSPITAL.

SCENE FIVE: THEY ARE STILL WAITING WHEN THE NURSE COMES ALONG WANTING THEM TO FILL OUT FORMS.

 

NURSE: There's some forms that you have to fill out.

JACK: Ah, yes, I'll be right there. (To Jennife) I'll take care of that.

JENNIFER: Thanks.

 

JACK GOES OVER TO THE DESK.

 

JACK: I think you're going to need to see this again.

 

HE HANDS HER HIS MEDICAL INSURANCE CARD.

 

NURSE: Yeah, this expires soon you know?

JACK: Yes, yes, yes. And I'll need to present a new card if my child requires anymore testing after this one expires.

NURSE: Well they usually automatically issue a new card every year as long as you're working for the newspaper. I'll be right back.

JACK: Yep.

 

JACK CONTEMPLATES HIS DECISION NOT TO TAKE KATE'S OFFER. JACK RETURNS TO JENNIFER WHO IS TALKING TO CARLY AND BO. SINCE ABBY'S DOCTOR IS STILL AWAY, JENNIFER WANTS CARLY TO LOOK AT HER.

BO: Guys I'm really sorry. If there's anything I can do let me know.

JENNIFER: Thank you Bo.

JACK: Thanks. We need to fill this out. Excuse us.

SCENE SIX: A WHILE LATER JACK AND JENNIFER ARE STILL PACING THE HALLS.

 

JACK: Jennifer I've been thinking. How would you feel if I accepted Kate Robert's offer, for me to be editor-in-chief of The Spectator, I mean?

JENNIFER: I thought that you didn't want to have anything to do with Kate.... or Victor. And you already turned her down. Why are you even thinking about it?

 

JACK DOES NOT GET A CHANCE TO ANSWER BEFORE CARLY COMES OUT TO TALK TO THEM.

 

JENNIFER: Carly, hi.

CARLY: Look I think the measures we are taking are going to bring down her temperature.

JACK: So what's wrong?

CARLY: We don't know.

JACK: Why doesn't.... I'm sorry but I don't understand why no one knows anything. There has.... there has been a procession of doctors going in and out of there all evening examining her.

CARLY: I understand your frustration. We are just as frustrated but I'm hoping that this last series of tests will give us some answers.

JENNIFER: Thanks.

 

CARLY LEAVES AND THEY WALK TO ABBY'S DOOR AND LOOK AT HER THROUGH THE GLASS.

 

JENNIFER: Oh look at her. Oh she's so little and helpless.

JACK: She is not helpless. She is not helpless. She is a Deveraux. What's more she's a Horton just like her mother. She's going to pull through. I'm absolutely sure of that.

JENNIFER: Hmmm.

SCENE SEVEN: A SHORT TIME LATER CARLY COMES BACK OUT.

 

CARLY: Okay her fever's down. I think it will be back to normal in a short while so you can go in and see her if you want.

JENNIFER: Oh my gosh.

JACK: Thank you.

 

JACK AND JENNIFER HURRY INTO ABBY'S ROOM WHERE ABBY IS ASLEEP.

 

JENNIFER: There we are. Hi sweetie. You're Aunt Carly says that you're going to be fine. Isn't that good news? Can we pick her up?

CARLY: Yeah.

 

JENNIFER GENTLY PICKS UP A SLEEPING ABBY.

 

JENNIFER: Come here. Oh my sweetheart.

JACK: So warm.

CARLY: Yeah. Jen, we still don't know what caused the fever. There's a real possibility that her temperature could spike again.

JENNIFER: No, I know but my grandfather said that babies get fevers all the time for, you know, a lot of reasons and I'm sure that's what happened tonight.

 

CARLY IS NOT SO SURE.

 

JACK: Carly, I get the feeling that there is something about these tests that really concern you.

CARLY: I don't have any information yet.

JENNIFER: Carly, what's wrong? Look, you're my friend, don't do this doctor stuff with me. Carly?

CARLY: Jennifer, I don't want you to get frightened, all right. There might be another reason for the numbers.

JACK: I'm sorry, numbers? What do you mean by numbers?

JENNIFER: What are you talking about? What do you mean?

CARLY: Sssssh. Abby's white cell count is a little low but I don't want you to panic.

 

JACK AND JENNIFER BOTH LOOK VERY SCARED.