oldEpisode Five-hundred-forty-three: No
Matching Donor Can Be Found. Jennifer
Becomes More Resentful of Jack Spending
All His Time at Work. Jack Continues to
Work to Hide from his Pain; Finally, Unable
to Endure It Anylonger, He Breaks Down.

[Air date early September, 1993]

 

SCENE ONE: AS TIME GOES ON WAITING FOR A DONOR, JENNIFER GETS MORE AND MORE RESENTFUL ABOUT JACK STAYING AT WORK SOMETIMES. SHE THINKS HE NEEDS TO GET OUT HIS FEELINGS.

SCENE ONE: MEANWHILE JACK IS IN KATE'S OFFICE WORKING AND IS ABOUT TO BREAK. HE PULLS OUT HIS PICTURE OF ABBY.

 

JACK: My child.... my sweet little girl.
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HE IS SITTING STARING AT THE PICTURE WITH TEARS IN HIS EYES WHEN KATE COMES IN.

 

KATE: Jack I just talked to the foreman at the plant. He said we've still go time to include an article about Abigail in the next issue of Bella. I know time is so important here but the more people we can let know about Abigail's condition the better chance we have of finding a donor for her.

 

SHE HAS NOT LOOKED AT JACK AND KEEPS TALKING.

 

KATE: You know I was thinking of calling the article "A CHILD'S LIFE. IT'S IN YOUR HANDS." What do you think of that?

 

JACK BURSTS INTO TEARS.

 

JACK: No.

SCENE TWO: AT THE OFFICE, AFTER KEEPING HIS EMOTIONS IN CHECK FOR SO LONG, JACK JACK FINALLY BREAKS DOWN IN FRONT OF KATE.

 

KATE: Jack are you alright?

oldEp543B

HIS CRYING GETS WORSE.

 

KATE: Oh Jack, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be so insensitive.

JACK: Oh.... it's.... it's not right.

 

KATE PUTS HER ARM AROUND HIM FOR COMFORT.

 

KATE: Jack.... ssssh.

JACK: It's not right. This is all wrong. She's too young for this.

KATE: It's okay.

JACK: She's too young.

KATE: It's alright. Just let it out. Go on.

 

HE STARTS TO SOB HEAVILY.

 

KATE: She's too young.... she's too young.

 

VICTOR WALKS IN AND SEES JACK CRYING AND KATE COMFORTING HIM.

SCENE THREE: AS KATE IS TRYING TO COMFORT JACK. VICTOR HAS JUST WALKED IN, AND GETS THE WRONG IDEA.

 

KATE: Ssssh.: I'm.... I'm very sorry. I...I don't know what came over me.

KATE: No listen, it's alright.

VICTOR: Kate I hope I'm not interrupting.

KATE: Aaaah, I'll talk to you later Victor.

VICTOR: This is very important.

KATE: Alright then maybe we can talk outside.

SCENE FOUR: SHE LEAVES WITH VICTOR. HE TELLS HER NOT TO PLAY GAMES. SHE TELLS HIM THAT JACK IS UPSET OVER ABIGAIL. VICTOR WAS NOT AWARE SHE WAS EVEN SICK. KATE FILLS HIM IN AND HE REALIZES THAT JACK MUST BE GOING THROUGH HELL. REMEMBERING THE HELL HE WENT THROUGH WITH ISABELLA, HE TELLS KATE TO USE ANY RESOURCES SHE NEEDS TO FIND A DONOR FOR ABBY.

SCENE FIVE: KATE RETURNS TO HER OFFICE.

 

JACK: Marie's making the changes I asked for in The Spectator article and then she's going to modem them over to Vern so it should make the morning edition.

KATE: Great.

JACK: Look about what happened before. I'm very sorry. Something came over me and I apologize.

KATE: Oh Jack please. You don't owe me an apology. You're going through a great deal now. I just want you to know that I'm here for you if you need me.

JACK: Thank you I appreciate that. So what did Victor want?

KATE: Nothing, just business.

JACK: Just business. Hmmm had to walk in right then too, didn't he?

KATE: Would you stop?

JACK: What did he say?

KATE: Will you stop worrying about Victor?

JACK: Stop worrying. I'll stop worrying when I stop realizing that when the man sees the slightest glimmer of weakness he moves right in for the kill.

KATE: You know he's really not the ogre you think he is.

JACK: Then you really haven't seen him in action. I've come to realize over the last few months that Victor probably did all in his power to bring down Harper behind his back. Probably even drove him to his insane end. And given the opening I'm certain he'd do the same thing to me. Well what's the point in talking about things in the past. This I assume is the Bella article?

KATE: Yes. Now I made a few revisions. They're right through this section here.

JACK: Huh, uh.

KATE: Jack when everything's settled down a bit we need to talk about some things.

JACK: Yes I suppose we do. Look I'm going to go out and check out on The Spectator article. May I take this with me?

KATE: Sure.

JACK: Good. It's nice to know that's the one thing I don't have to worry about.

KATE: Huh?

JACK: Us losing The Spectator to Victor. Working for that man is one thing I could never do.

 

JACK LEAVES. KATE FEELS REALLY GUILTY.

 

KATE: Aaaah Jack, never say never.

SCENE SIX: MEANWHILE, VICTOR GOES TO THE HOSPITAL AND IS TESTED AS A DONOR.

SCENE SEVEN: A LITTLE LATER, JACK GETS A CALL WHEN HE COMES BACK INTO THE OFFICE.

 

JACK: That was the nurse at the hospital.

KATE: Yeah?

JACK: The child's fast asleep. Sleeping like an angel. It's really kind of a wonder that I could ever produce such a good thing.

KATE: OH JACK! What a thing to say. You are a wonderful man.

JACK: Well I don't know. I've done a few things in my time that I'm not so proud of.

KATE: Jack we all make mistakes. We just have to put them behind us and move on.

JACK: Yes. But do we, do we really? I mean look at me. You didn't know me before but not too long ago I was sick. Very sick and my life was very bad. Then I went to work at The Spectator. I met Jennifer and my life got very good. We eventually married, had a child. And now with your help, we have been able to hold onto The Spectator and keep it from Victor. Seems like everything is turning around. Basically my fortunes have changed. But have they? Now my child's sick.

KATE: Well Jack, that's not your fault.

JACK: Er, you know what they say. Sins of the father and all that. There must be something to that.

KATE: Oh please, that is completely irrational.

JACK: I have to keep thinking of a reason why. Why here?

KATE: I don't know. But what I do know is that you've got to believe that that child is going to get well. You have to believe that.

JACK: I appreciate this. I appreciate your support. You've been very good through all this with the articles and everything. Thank you.

KATE: Oh it's nothing. I'm glad I can help.

JACK: The difficult thing is no one really knows. No one knows that feeling, that fear of losing a child.

KATE: I do. I lost two children of my own.

JACK: I'm very sorry. I had no idea.

KATE: Well it's not something I run around talking about. In fact Lucas doesn't know and I don't want him to know.

JACK: Believe me, it would in your best interest if you told Lucas that he had brothers and sisters.

KATE: Maybe. Maybe I'll tell him someday but not now.

JACK: Alright, do as you wish. In the meantime I'm sorry that this brought up so many painful memories.

KATE: No really it's fine. Actually I'm surprised I can even talk about it.

JACK: Well then it's small wonder then that Lucas is so important to you.

KATE: He's all I've got Jack. I know people see me as an ambitious driven woman but I really don't care. I'm determined to give that boy everything I couldn't give my other children.

JACK: Lucas is a very fortunate young man to have you for a mother. It's really rather odd. I go around in this cloud thinking there is no one who really understands what I'm going through and here you are and now I know you understand perfectly.

KATE: You know there's somebody else who knows the kind of pain you're going through. It's Jennifer and you really ought to be there talking with her.

JACK: Not yet. I still need to be strong for her.

KATE: Oh Jack, please. Wouldn't it be easier for the two of you to be strong together? Go to her. Tell her how much you are hurting inside. That you are hurting just as much as she is.

JACK: Soon.... soon.

oldEp543C

JACK LEAVES. KATE FEELS HIS PAIN.

 

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