SCENE ONE:THE NEXT DAY AND JACK GOES TO THE OFFICE WHERE VERN IS THROWING OUT ALL THE DISKS THEY STOLE FROM VICTOR.
JACK: Vern, Vern, what are you doing?
VERN: I'm tossing this junk away.
JACK: You can't do that. Are you crazy? You can't throw those disks away.
VERN: Well Jack, what are you saying? I thought you decided to give it up. I mean Kiriakis owns the paper and you're stuck working with him.
JACK: Vern, let me tell you something, if we can decode the rest of these disks we won't lose the paper. Do you understand? If we can find out what's going on we're going to have something on the man. Am I right or am I right?
VERN: What the hell happened to you? Last night you were totally defeated.
JACK: It's like you said. I have a wife and a child to think about.
VERN: So forget about Victor.
JACK: Vern, it's the same wife and child. They're depending on me. I can't let them down.
VERN: Jack this is a hell of a lot of work and time. Do you really want to do this?
JACK: Vern, just.... just do what I say. We're going to go up against Victor and we're going to get The Spectator back.
THEY START LOOKING THROUGH THE DISKS.
JACK: There could a be lot of dirt on these disks Vern. Dirt that could force Victor to give up his interest in The Spectator.
VERN: Oh I don't know about that.
JACK: Vern! It'll work. If we apply ourselves it will definitely work. We just have to get to work fast. We have to decode the rest of these disks.
VERN: You're the boss.
JACK: Ten percent boss, yes.
VERN: Listen, why don't we get Jennifer in on this? She has knack for this sort of thing. Remember she was the one who spotted The Spectator file.
JACK: Not at this time Vern, not at this time.
VERN: Why not?
JACK: Vern, last night she was trying to persuade me to stay away from Victor.
VERN: Then what are you doing with all this stuff then.
JACK: Vern she wouldn't understand. She would get too concerned and she would get too worried. So this will stay between you and me, okay?
VERN: Oh I'd feel a little better if you told her but knowing history I'll go along with any cockamammy scheme you come up with anyway.
JACK: Oh that's the spirit Vern. That's the spirit.
VERN: Well let's just hope that Victor doesn't get wind of what we're up to or we'll both be out of a job and knowing Victor, that's the least of our problems.
JACK: Oh I saw Victor last night when I confronted Kate.
VERN: Really? What did you tell them?
JACK: Well I let him know I was onto him. However I think he took my promises as empty.
VERN: Well you can hope that he continues to think that.
JACK: I realize I do need the job for the insurance to cover the op.... the operation. I forgot. What am I doing? Let's get out of here.
THEY BOTH RUSH OUT AND DO NOT HAVE TIME TO PUT AWAY ALL THE DISKS THEY STOLE FROM VICTOR.
SCENE TWO: JACK AND VERN ARRIVE AT THE HOSPITAL.
JENNIFER: There you are Jack.
JACK: I am so sorry.
JENNIFER: I was worried about you.
JACK: I was taking care of some family business at the office.
JENNIFER: What are you talking about?
JACK: It's no matter now. Everything's fine.
JO: Vern, I'm so glad you're here.
VERN: Listen, you know I feel like Abby's sort of my grandkid too.
JACK: Have you seen her yet?
JENNIFER: Yes, yes, I've seen her. They won't let me hold her.
VERN: Why can't you hold her?
JENNIFER: I guess this chemotherapy that she's getting is killing the diseased bone marrow to make room for Austin's healthy bone marrow so she's very susceptible to infections right now.
JACK: Well it's very simple. We'll just hold her right after the operation, that's all.
HE HUGS JENNIFER.
JENNIFER: Yeah but we're going to have to wear masks and gowns for the next few weeks.
JACK: Oh masks and gowns are nothing new to us. I'm sure we can do that as long as we can hold her. Now what about Austin?
JENNIFER: He's here, he's here. I think he's changing and getting ready. Here he is. Hi there.
JACK: Speaking of gowns, how are you feeling?
AUSTIN: Pretty good so far. All I've had to do is change my clothes.
JACK: Well thank you for that. We appreciate everything you've been able to do.
JENNIFER: Yes we do. We owe you our daughter's life.
AUSTIN: Hey you guys are just lucky that my calendar was clear today, alright. I've really developed a liking for your daughter. I'm crazy for her.
JENNIFER: Yeah, we're crazy for her too. We would do anything for you right now. Do you need anything?
JACK: If you need something we'll certainly try.
AUSTIN: Now that you're asking, if you throw in a pint of Rocky Road ice cream with that cake you're supposed to bake me.
THEY ALL LAUGH.
JENNIFER: That's it, you've got it.
AUSTIN: Wish us luck.
JACK: We wish you luck. All the best.JENNIFER: We'll be praying for you. Oh boy here we go.
JACK: It's going to be fine. Just fine.
THEY HOLD EACH OTHER TIGHT.
SCENE THREE: THEY BOTH GO AND WAIT OUTSIDE THE OPERATING ROOM. JENNIFER CANNOT HELP BUT PEEP THROUGH THE GLASS IN THE DOOR.
JACK: Well what's going on? I mean is she aware?
JENNIFER: No, she's asleep.
JACK HAS A LOOK.
JACK: Oh I can't look in there. I mean she's so small and this whole procedure is so big.
JENNIFER: I know, I know. It's terrifying to see what she's going through right now but we have to be so thankful that they have this procedure for her today Jack.
JACK: I am. Believe me I am very thankful. I am.
JENNIFER: She's going to live. She's going to be just fine.
JACK: Of course. Of course she's going to live. She's going to be just fine.
JENNIFER: I just feel so helpless being out here.
JACK: I know that feeling well. I still feel that I should be the one in there helping her, donating my bone marrow.
JENNIFER: Jack, come on, don't blame yourself anymore. I wasn't a match. I mean it's very doubtful that you would have been a match. We just have to be so thankful that Austin was a match and that he is such a friend to us. Come on.
JO AND VERN COME TO BE WITH JACK AND JENNIFER.
JO: Hi, how's it going?
JENNIFER: It's started but we're not sure how long it's going to take.
JO: Oh, it always seems to take longer than it really is.
JENNIFER: I know.
VERN: You know Jack I know what kind of an ordeal this is for you, for all of you.
JACK: It's nothing. She's going to be fine. She's a fighter. She's a fighter and this thing.... just like I'm a fighter. I tell you something, she's going to pull through this thing just fine.
JACK GLANCES ACROSS AND JENNIFER AND SMILES THEN TURNS BACK TO VERN.
JACK: And I'm going to pull us out of this thing with Victor Kiriakis.
SCENE FOUR: THE PROCEDURE HAS FINISHED. JACK AND JENNIFER GO TO SEE ABBY. THEY TALK WHEN THEY COME OUT.
JENNIFER: She seemed just right, didn't she?
JACK: She seemed just fine.
JENNIFER: I mean she was sleeping peacefully.
JACK: She looked just fine.
JENNIFER: Now we just have to pray so hard that that transplant works.
JACK: I believe it's going to work. I really feel that Jennifer. I really feel that from now on everything is going to work out just fine.
JENNIFER: I want to believe that. I want to believe that with all my heart.
JACK: Well stick with me and you will.
AUSTIN IS WHEELED OUT.
JENNIFER: Oh my gosh, Austin. Hi there.
JACK: Oh there is. How are you feeling?
JENNIFER: How are you doing?
AUSTIN: Um pretty good. I'm feeling no pain. How's Abby?
JENNIFER: She is wonderful. She is sleeping peacefully and the doctor's said it went very well.
NURSE: Oh this just came in for you Mrs. Deveraux. I believe it's the research you've been expecting.
JENNIFER: Oh thank you very much. Oh this is great. It's exactly what I've been looking for.
JACK: What is it?
JENNIFER: Well I've been doing some research on aplastic anemia and I stumbled upon something very interesting.
JACK: Oh, yes.
JENNIFER: Yes I found out that Abby is not the first case of aplastic anemia in Salem. And it's just one of the diseases prevalent in this city compared to other cities in the country.
JACK: What, are you saying there might be some common cause in Salem?
JENNIFER: I don't know. I don't know. But I am going to research it and I am going to check it out. And I really want you to help me.
JACK: Certainly. I'll do everything I can.
AUSTIN MUMBLES SOMETHING ABOUT HELPING TOO AND JENNIFER TELLS HIM TO GET SOME SLEEP FIRST. JACK THANKS HIM.
JACK: Well thank you very much. Thank you.
THEY WHEEL AUSTIN AWAY. JACK HOLDS JENNIFER AGAIN AND KISSES HER HAIR.
JACK: It's alright.
JACK MAKES A CALL TO THE OFFICE.
SCENE FIVE: AFTER FINISHING HIS CALL, JACK RETURNS TO JENNIFER.
JACK: Alright!
JENNIFER: How's everything back at the office?
JACK: Vern's back at the office and taking care of everything.
JENNIFER: Good. Did you mean what you said before about me?
JACK: Helping you?
JENNIFER: With all of this research because I really believe that we can find out what's causing these diseases Jack including aplastic anemia.
JACK: Ah, yes, I'll try to do everything I can. I mean I think this is really great. I'm actually working on a little investigation of my own.
JENNIFER: Really, what kind of investigation are you working on?
JACK: Well I can't really go into it right now just suffice to say it has a lot to do with our family. I think it's going to make a big difference in our lives.JENNIFER: What's going on?
JACK: I said I can't tell you right now. I'll tell you soon. I'll tell you another thing. When it happens you'll know about it. In fact the whole town's going to hear about it.