EPISODE FOURTEEN
Written By Aaron D. Mullins
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Previously On
SCENE ONE – Wendy burst through the double doors to
the waiting room where her assembled family and friends anxiously awaited
word on Nicky’s condition. “He’s going
to be just fine,” she announced, tears of relief blotting her cheeks. “Ross said that he’s going to need to take
it easy for a few days, but there’s nothing wrong with him that a little TLC
won’t take care of.” The group burst out in happy cheers as
Wendy embraced Diana. “He’s going to
get plenty of love and spoiling,” her aunt whispered, “just you wait and
see!” “I’m so relieved!” Ellen Bowman
exclaimed, dabbing a tissue at the corner of her eyes. “That little boy means so much to all of
us. Thank God, Thank God!” Wendy nodded in agreement and pulled the
older woman into a hug. Diana watched as her niece made her way
around the room. After a few moments,
she felt a familiar presence behind her.
“Hey, Doc,” she said, turning to face her ex-husband. “How are you?” Will smiled and shuffled nervously. “I’m glad to see you again. I just found out you were back in
town. Can we talk?” “I think that would be a good idea,” she
said. “You remember the way to my office?” “Please, I could walk that route in my
sleep,” she said with a laugh. “Shall
we?” He nodded and they made their way
out of the waiting room. Meanwhile, Wendy had made her way to
Jason, who stood toward the back of the group. “There you are!” she said, smiling at
him. “I was wondering where you had
gone.” “I just wanted to give you some, you
know, time with your family.” “I appreciate that.” She stared at him for a moment. “I’m really glad that you were with me when
this happened. You were a tremendous
support on the way over and before I was able to see him. I just want you to know I appreciate it.” “Hey, what are boyfriends for?” he
chuckled. “Is that what you are now?” she
teased. “My boyfriend?” “If you’d like me to be.” “I’d like.” He grinned and reached out to pull her
into an embrace. As he did, they
sensed a hush fall across the room. As
they turned to face the group, they saw more than a few stunned expressions
on their faces. “Well, I guess the
cat’s out of the bag,” Wendy laughed. “Hey, you’ve got good taste, Wendy,”
Emily joked, nudging Kyle. “The
Marshak men are a total catch.”
Everyone broke into laughter, breaking some of the tension. Wendy turned to Jason. “I’m sorry about this… I hope it’s okay
with you that they know?” “I couldn’t be happier than to be known
as your boyfriend,” he said. “I don’t
care if the whole world knows.” Across the room, Emily turned to embrace
Kyle. “Now that’s a surprise,” she said.
“I didn’t even know Wendy and Jason knew each other all that well,
much less that they were dating.” Kyle watched Wendy and Jason carefully,
his eyes narrowing into slits. “Me
neither. My brother’s just full of surprises.” “Well, I’m glad to know she has someone
as wonderful as Jason in her life.
They’re good for each other.” “How do you mean?” “Oh, you know,” she said, gazing at her
cousin as she nuzzled Jason, “they’re both a bit wounded… Jason lost Rebecca
and Wendy lost Nicky’s father.” “What do you mean by that?” “I never told you about that?” He shook his head. “I don’t know all that much myself, just
that Nicky’s dad, Brandon, was killed in a motorcycle accident right before
Nicky was born. She came to He continued to keep his eyes fixed on
Wendy and Jason. “I can’t say as I
recall.” “More like you weren’t paying
attention,” she mumbled. Just then, Ross entered, smiling
broadly. He joined his sister and
Kyle. “Good news, huh?” “The best,” Emily agreed, kissing her
brother on the cheek. “You’re a great
doctor, bro,” “Nah, it was all Nickelodeon. He’s doing all the work. I’m just the guy who has to put the
Band-Aids on.” They chuckled. “Actually, if you’ll excuse me, I need to
talk to Wendy.” “Sure.” Ross made his way over to Wendy and
Jason. “Excuse me, you guys, can I
steal Wendy away for just a moment?” Jason noticed Wendy grow slightly tense,
but chalked it up to nerves about Nicky.
“Sure.” He put his hand on
Ross’s shoulder, catching the doctor slightly off-guard. “Good job, Ross. Let’s get together some time to play
golf. I miss our games.” Ross smiled slightly, but Jason could
tell the tension that had fallen between them since Katie left town was still
there. “Sure, Jase,” Ross nodded,
leading Wendy to a private corner. “What is it?” Wendy asked. “Not more bad news, I hope?” “No, not at all,” he said, his voice
barely a whisper. “You just never
answered my question upstairs and I’d really like to know, that’s all.” “What question?” “Come on, Wendy, don’t play dumb with
me. Nicky isn’t your biological son,
and you never told any of us that little fact. I’m just curious as to why?” “Ross, does it really matter?” she
asked, avoiding his gaze. “Yeah, I’d say it does. Not only are you family, I’m his doctor…
the fact that he’s adopted might have been good to know.” She sighed. “It’s a long story, Ross. All that matters now is that I’m Nicky’s
mother in every way that matters. I'm the only
mother he's known, almost since the day he was born.” “Then who is his real mother?” “Ross…” “Come on, why the mystery?” “It’s private,” she said firmly. “Look, Ross, I’m not trying to be rude… you
know I love you like my own brother, but if this is something I wanted to
tell you, I would have. Now can you please drop it?” He stared at her for a few moments,
considering his words carefully. “All
right. I can sense there’s more to
this story, but I’ll respect your privacy.
But, take it from me, Wendy, keeping secrets can only end up hurting
you in the end.” “I’ll keep that in mind,” she said,
walking away. “Hey,” Emily said, approaching her
cousin. “I’m so glad to hear Nicky’s
going to be okay. I’m sorry I couldn’t
get here sooner, I was at school.” “Oh, honey, don’t worry about it, it
means the world to me that you are here at all.” She embraced Emily, smiling at Kyle. “Hey, Kyle, how are you?” “Good, good,” he said, nodding. “Listen,” Emily said, “you must be
starving. What say I take you down to
the cafeteria and get you something utterly revolting to eat?” “Sounds delicious,” Wendy said with a
laugh. “Kyle, will you join us?” “Go on ahead, I’ll meet you there. I have a few calls to make.” “Kyle,” Emily chastised, “come on,
honey, leave work alone for an hour or two.” “It won’t take more than a moment,
scout’s honor.” He raised his fingers
in a mock salute. She frowned, but
relented, leading Wendy toward the cafeteria.
As they made their way down the hall, a sly grin crossed Kyle’s face
as he approached his brother. “Hey,” he said. “Hey yourself.” “Listen, I just wanted to apologize
about last night,” Kyle began. “I was
out of line with some of the things I said.
I got your phone message and I really appreciate the olive branch.” Jason smiled. “That’s what brothers are for, Kyle. And, first and foremost, we are brothers.” “I know.
I just wanted to tell you that I’ve given it some thought and I think
you’re right. I just need to slow down
a bit, not be so aggressive. I’ve
obviously got some learning to do.
Hopefully I’ll win Mother’s approval eventually.” “Hey, don’t worry about that,” Jason
said with a laugh. “Believe me, there
are far more important things in life than a thumbs up from Olivia Marshak.” “I guess.” Kyle grinned at his
brother. “You mean things like Wendy
Harris?” Jason smiled sheepishly. “Hey, I don’t know where that’s going, but
yeah, thinks like romance and living life.
You can’t let Drummond Enterprises take over. You’ll end up a tired, grumpy old man like
Grandfather was before he got sick.” “Yeah, right.” Kyle gently scratched his chin, taking a different
approach. “So, how long have you and
Wendy been… you know…” “Just a few weeks,” he said. “But it feels like a lot longer.” “She’s a really nice girl,” Kyle
said. “I’ve known her for a while, you
know, her being Emily’s cousin and all.
She’s really great.” “Yeah, she is.” “Well… congratulations, Bro. It’s good to see you venturing out of your
shell again.” “Thanks.” Kyle began to walk away but Jason stopped
him. “Hey, real quick, before you go…” “Yeah?” “Could you kind of keep this under your hat? Me and Wendy I mean. You know how Mother is. I’d just prefer her not get involved in my
business, you know?” “No problem, Bro,” Kyle said, his sly
grin returning. “Scout’s honor.” “Thanks, but you were never a scout,”
Jason laughed. Kyle gave a short laugh, but walked away
without responding, leaving a befuddled Jason watching his brother in mild
confusion. A few moments later, Kyle made his way
to the private phone stalls near the cafeteria. Checking over his shoulder to ensure no one
was watching, he scrolled through the addresses in his Blackberry and
selected a number. Deciding against
using his phone to make this call, he picked up the payphone receiver,
deposited some coins and dialed the number. “Mr. Kruger? This is Kyle Marshak. My mother has told me you’ve done some
excellent work for her in the past, and I’m hoping I can engage you in
assisting me with a… private matter.” He heard voices approaching from the
hall, so he leaned further into the phone booth, pulling his collar up. “Oh, I assure you, the money is not an
issue. It’s a standard background
check, along the same lines as what you’ve done for my mother in the
past. I need some information on a
young woman named Wendy Harris. I’ll
fax you the details later this afternoon.
Can we make this happen as soon as possible?” He grinned.
“Good, good.” SCENE TWO – DRUMMOND ESTATE “Come on, Uncle Randy, just a few more
yards to the rose garden… you can make it.” Randy Marshak wheezed as he slowed his
jog down to a rapid walk. “I wish I
had your youth and stamina, Michael.” Michael jogged in place and smiled at
his uncle. “Oh, come on, you’re in
great shape.” “For my age?” “I wasn’t going to say that! Randy nodded. “Yeah, right.” He leaned down to sit at the base of one of
the pieces of statuary that dotted the grounds and grimaced as he heard his
back crack. “There was a time, you
know, when I could have run back and forth along this path without breaking a
sweat.” “I believe you,” Michael said as he
began stretching. “Even still, I
really appreciate you taking the time to run with me. I usually get really bored doing this
alone.” “Sure.”
Randy could still feel the faint leftovers from this morning’s
hangover drilling at the base of his skull.
“I needed some fresh air and exercise, anyway.” Michael smiled knowingly, but Randy knew
he was too polite to ask too many questions.
“This has always been my favorite part of the grounds,” Randy
commented, shielding his eyes from the late afternoon sun as he looked out
over the rolling lawn. “It was
actually me, not Olivia, who suggested that we use this area for our wedding
ceremony.” “It really is beautiful,” Michael
agreed, watching his uncle closely.
“It’s very peaceful and serene here, which is ironic considering the
sturm und drang that usually goes along with anything ‘Drummond.’” “Ain’t it the truth?” Michael took a drink from his bottled
water and joined Randy by the statue.
“Uncle Randy, do you still talk to your family?” “Sure,” he said. “My mom passed away a few years ago, but I
stop by to see Pop every now and again.
And I chat with my brother and sister whenever I get the chance. Why do you ask?” “I don’t know, I guess I just wonder
what it must be like for you. Coming
into the Drummond family, I mean, when you have a whole life and family out
there somewhere.” He motioned toward
the fence line that marked the property’s edge. “It took some getting used to, that’s
for sure. But once the kids came
along, Olivia and I had a family of our own to worry about.” “Sometimes I wish…” his voice trailed
off. “What?” “Nothing.” “No, really, go ahead, Michael. You know you can speak freely in front of
me.” “I just think about family sometimes,”
he said, his voice barely a whisper.
“Sometimes I wonder what it would have been like to have had a brother
or a sister. I guess that’s one of the
main reasons I came back to Randy wrapped a comforting arm around
the younger man’s shoulders. “Hey,
it’s alright, Michael. Your folks…
well, I guess they tried their best, but we can’t pick our parents. I’m sure it wasn’t easy for your
father to
be the Drummond heir. I’m not making
excuses for the way he treated you over the years, but your grandfather could
be a real beast with his kids, believe me, I saw him put Olivia through
emotional hell more than once. And
your mom, well… I didn’t really get to know her all that well. She was rarely here. But I know she always loved you. And, hey, you turned out pretty well, so I
guess they did something right.” “Yeah,” Michael said somberly. “I guess.” “When’s the last time you spoke to
either of them?” “Not since I came to “Hey, don’t talk like that.” Randy squeezed his shoulder. “You’re his son, Michael. I know things are bad between the two of
you right now, but there will come a time when…” “No,” Michael said firmly. “Not if I have anything to say about it.” Randy exhaled deeply. “Okay.
You’re a grown man, a very strong and responsible man, so I know
you’ll do what’s best. But, take it
from me, a father never stops loving his child.” “You’re assuming he ever did in the
first place.” “Michael…” “Skip it." He smiled at his uncle.
"You were talking about Katie, weren’t
you? Before, I mean.” The question caught Randy
off-guard. “I, uh…” he thought about
it for a moment. “Yeah, I suppose I
am.” “Well, that’s really different, Uncle Randy. Katie’s absence doesn’t have anything to do with you. I mean, what happened between my father and I… well, it’s not like you did what he did. It’s not like you tried to kill your own child.” "Michael, I..." "I'm sorry," he said, returning to his feet. "Come on, let's head back to the house." Randy watched him for a moment, but
finally agreed.
He stood, feeling wobbly, as a wave of
nausea overtook him. “Uncle Randy?” Michael stood, quickly helping him maintain
his balance. “Whoa, are you okay?” “It’s… nothing,” Randy said, suddenly
aware of the screaming in his head.
Michael's comment echoed through his mind. It's not like you tried to
kill your own child... Suddenly, the voice had returned, the voice of his daughter, crying out for his
help. He closed his eyes and tried to
force them away, but the attacks were getting worse and worse. “Oh, God…” “Come on, let’s get you back to the
house.” Michael led him a few steps
toward the manor, but Randy suddenly lost his footing and tumbled to the
ground. Daddy!
The voice called out to
him. Daddy! Do something! Help me!
For God’s sake, help me! In his mind, Randy tried to reach out to
the voice, which he now knew without a doubt was Katie’s. But, in the darkness, he could only see… flames? The dim, flickering light of a fire spread
across his memory, as the screams grew louder and louder. “I’m sorry…” Randy began to mumble, as
fresh tears sprang to his eyes. “I
don’t know what to do… I’m sorry!” Michael leaned down, trying his best to
understand what was happening to his uncle, but just as quickly as the attack
had occurred, it passed. “Michael?” Randy said, his eyes once
again fixed on his nephew. “Oh, God,
I’m sorry about that.” He scrambled to
his feet, wiping the tears from his eyes. “God, Uncle Randy, what the hell was
that?”
Payton McClaine tilted the plush leather
desk chair back and placed his feet on his desk. Clasping his hands behind his head, he
gazed around his newly-finished office and smiled. It had taken years, but he’d finally made
it. Ensconced in the midst of Drummond
Enterprises, so close to his goal that he could taste it. He exhaled deeply and felt a tingle of
excitement as he thought about the events that would unfold over the next few
weeks and months. Admittedly, there
was a part of him that wanted so badly to rush things, to make the Drummonds
pay for what they had done. He had to
remind himself daily that the successful completion of his mission depended
on timing more than anything else. A knock at the office door interrupted
his thoughts. Quickly sitting up and
scattering papers across his desk, he cleared his throat and called out a
greeting. “It’s just me.” Olivia Marshak stuck her head into the door
and smiled. “Do you have a few
moments?” “Oh, I think I can spare a minute or two
for my boss,” he said, wondering if he was laying it on too thick. Please,
he thought, this woman eats this stuff
up with a spoon. “Listen, I just felt like I needed to
apologize to you again about that little… scene
in my office earlier. I want to assure
you that things like that do not
happen often around here.” “Think nothing of it,” he said. “Listen, we had a dust up or two back in “Well, I appreciate your kindness, but
Karen Sinclair’s little display had nothing to do with business, I assure
you.” “I gathered.” He smiled at her. “Either way, it’s fine. I assure you, my opinion of Drummond
Enterprises remains unchanged.” You can say that again, he thought
wickedly. “I’m sure it was just the hormones,” she
explained, lingering in the doorway.
“You know, pregnancy and all.” “I wouldn’t know.” “Oh, of course not.” She laughed, and he began to realize that
she had something else on her mind besides an apology. “I was a mess during my pregnancies… the emotions
came and went with the passing hours.” “Interesting.” She approached his desk and casually
took a seat. Payton kept his plastic
smile plastered across his face, but he was more than a bit irritated. He planned his encounters with Olivia with
precision, and this unexpected visit was catching him unprepared. “Kids,” she sighed, picking imaginary
lint from her steel gray skirt. “They
can be quite a handful. You… never had
any of your own?” He shook his head, unsure of where this
conversation was leading.
“Unfortunately, no.” “Well,” she said, still picking away at
her skirt, “they can be… a blessing… or…”
“Olivia,” he interrupted, trying not to
sound impatient. “Is everything okay?” She smiled. “You’re very intuitive.” No,
you’re just that transparent, he
thought bitterly. “Does this have
anything to do with the comment Karen made about your daughter?” “Katie,” she whispered. “I’ve just been thinking about her a lot,
lately, and seeing Karen brought it all back to me.” “I see.” “She’s always been headstrong and
reckless. I guess she takes after me
in that way.” Olivia finally made eye contact with him and she could tell he
wasn’t sure what to say. “I’m sorry,
Payton. I shouldn’t be rambling on
about this.” “Don’t apologize; we’re friends. I told you that you can talk to me.” “Thank you, I appreciate that.” “So,” he continued, leaning back in his
seat. “Where does Katie fit in with
your grand scheme for Drummond Enterprises?” “I don’t follow?” “Well, you’ve told me about how you’d like
to see Jason take over the presidency from George Hearn. And Kyle’s working here. What about Katie?” “Oh, she’s an artist,” she said,
emphasizing the last word with an obvious disdain. “She’s never shown an iota of interest in
this company.” “Interesting. How do you feel about that?” “I suppose I wish she did,” she admitted. “But I respect her desire to go against the
tide, so to speak.” “And what about Kyle?” Olivia frowned. “What about him?” “Well, he seems to be something of a
go-getter. Word around the office is
that he devotes a tremendous amount of time and energy to the company, in
addition to going to school. That must
please you?” “Kyle tries.” That seemed to be the best she could say
about her youngest child. “He’s young
and very headstrong.” “A minute ago, you said Katie was also
headstrong, ‘like her mother.’ That’s
not a good quality for Kyle to have?” “It’s not that,” she explained. “He just goes about things in the wrong
way. He’s anxious, which makes him
dangerous. He needs my constant
approval and attention. And, I
suppose, he needs to be broken a bit, like a wild horse.” Interesting
turn of phrase to use when describing your child, Payton thought.
Regardless, he found Olivia’s obvious obsession with her eldest son,
at the expense of Kyle, to be intriguing.
The situation had the potential to work in his favor, he realized. “Olivia, I have a suggestion.” “What’s that?” “Well… why don’t you have Kyle come work
with me?” She laughed. “Doing what?” “Well, I could use an assistant with
managing the Oil division. And I like
what I hear about him. I think I
could… ‘break him’… as you say. And I
think it would show him that you do value him and his commitment to
Drummond.” Her smile faded slightly as she
considered his proposal. “Payton
McClaine,” she said finally, “I knew there was a reason I hired you.” Like
taking candy from a baby, he
thought.
The walk from the waiting room to
Will’s
office was agonizing for both him and Diana.
Neither spoke, except for the occasional “thank you” when one of them
held a door for the other. As they
rounded the corner to the Chief Of Staff’s office, Will’s secretary, Elyse,
began to inform him of the calls he’d missed when she noticed Diana walking alongside
him. She instantly fell silent. “Dr. Bowman… and Ms. Harris…” she said,
trying not to sound too shocked. “It’s
nice to see you again.” “Hello, Elyse.” Diana smiled at the pretty redhead. “It’s been a long time.” “Elyse, please hold my calls for the
next hour. I’m going to need some
privacy.” “Of course, Dr. Bowman.” Will led Diana through his office door
and closed it shut. “Coffee?” he
offered, making his way to the kitchenette in the back. “Two sugars?” “No, I’m fine, but thank you.” “Mind if I…” “No, no, of course not.” “Good.” She crossed her arms and exhaled, taking
in the décor. He hadn’t changed a
thing in over three years. Well, maybe one or two things, she
thought, noticing the wedding photo on the credenza. She closed her eyes, trying not to let the
hurt show on her face. “Have a seat,” he said, gesturing to the
plush chairs in front of his desk.
Blowing the steam from his coffee, he sat down across from her and
smiled. “Well… this is awkward,” he
said. She laughed. “Yes, it is.” They stared at one another for a moment,
both trying to gauge the other’s feelings.
“How was your trip?” She asked finally, breaking the tense silence. “My trip?” “Yes.
Medical conference in “Oh, that,” he said, recalling
Karen’s
silly lie. “Long story.” “I see.”
The silence returned. Will leaned forward on his desk and
clasped his hands together. He kept
his gaze fixed on the blotter in front of him and took a deep breath. “Diana… Di…
I just want to say how sorry I am…” “You know, Will, I’m really not here to
discuss the past, I just want to…” “No, please,” he interrupted. “Let me say this. I’ve been waiting for the chance to say it
for three years. Please just let me
get it off my chest.” It was against her better judgment, but
she nodded her approval. “Thank you.” He stood, rubbing the bridge of his
nose. “God, Di… where do I start? I guess I want you to know, first and
foremost, that I am so very sorry for taking you for granted for all of those
years. I’m sorry about the affair…” “Affairs…”
she corrected him, sounding a little more harsh than intended. “Right,” he continued, sheepishly. “Affairs.
God, I was so stupid. Things
were so crazy back then. I was
jockeying for the chief of staff position, so close to losing my job in the
face of the budget cuts and I…” He
looked at her and saw that there was no sympathy displayed on her face. In fact, minor irritation might be a better
description for what he saw. “No. No excuses.
There’s nothing I can say that can explain why I did the things that hurt you. I just want you to know that, if I could,
I’d go back and do things so differently.
More than anything, I wish I could take back the look on your face the
last time I saw you…” “Okay, that’s enough,” she said, rising suddenly. “Doc, please. I appreciate what you are trying to do,
really I do, but it’s so… well, quite frankly it’s too late and it’s all so
irrelevant.” “I don’t understand…” “No, you don’t. So let me explain.” Now it was her turn to pace. “Listen, the reason I wanted to talk to you
doesn’t have anything to do with you or our past. It’s about the kids.” “Emily and
Ross? What do they…” “I’m going to need to tell them
something, and I think it’s important that it comes from you and I together.” “Okay,” he said, returning to his
seat. “What exactly did you have in
mind?” “Will…” she found herself
stammering. How long had she been
rehearsing this moment? There was so
much that she wanted to say to him, in response to the things he’d said just
moments ago. She wanted to yell at
him, tell him how arrogant and selfish he had been. She wanted to cry, to blame him for so many
things. She wanted to forgive, she
wanted to forget, but none of that mattered now. She’d promised herself the day she got on
the plane to return to “Di?” he said, breaking her
reverie. “What is it?” She sighed and decided to just say
it. “Will, I’ve been under the care of
Dr. Frank Reese in “Oh god,” he said, his face suddenly
turning ashen. “Dr. Morgan Bennett?” “Yes.” “But he’s a…” “He’s an oncologist. I have cancer.” Don't miss an episode! Join our episode notification list by clicking below... What did you think of this episode? Join us on the message board to discuss! Next On
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