EPISODE SIX
Written By Aaron D. Mullins
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Previously On Autumn Lake:
SCENE ONE – Autumn Lake Memorial Hospital Not for the first time, Karen looked at her reflection in the mirror and smiled. Most women hated the fact that they gained weight when they were pregnant, but not Karen. It just meant that it was that much sooner until she had Will's child. She pulled on her white lab coat and glanced out the window of the staff lounge. It was almost 8AM, but the cloud cover made it appear much earlier. It was going to be a chilly day and Karen found herself missing the warm Caribbean sun that had been a highlight of their brief honeymoon. Last night had been pure magic. After their dinner at Bourbon Street, she and Will had come home. Karen had been a little nervous, hoping that Diana hadn't found an excuse to linger, but the coast was clear. She and Will made love and it was somehow… different. Karen couldn't put her finger on it, but Will was definitely starting to let his guard down around her. They had come to work together this morning, and Will surprised Karen by suggesting they meet in the cafeteria for lunch. She was looking forward to it, eager to spend as much quality time with her husband as possible. Besides, it meant that she would be there to intercept any possible interference from Diana. Karen began her rounds and found herself whistling. She was humming along to the hospital's muzak when Ross noticed her. “Well, someone woke up on the right side of the bed this morning!” She smiled a greeting and began looking through a chart. “Good morning, handsome, how are you?” “Not as good as you, I take it. Nice night?” “The best!” They made their way down the hall and Ross shoved his hands into his lab coat pockets. “I just had breakfast with Dad. He was in a similar mood. This can't be a coincidence.” “It's not, I'm sure. Ross, last night was… magical.” “I'm not sure you should be telling me this, I mean, he is my father and all…” “I don't mean that!” Karen laughed. “Although there was some of that too!” “Karen!” “Just teasing. No, I mean before we got home. Ross, it was like Will was a different person. He was gentle and kind, he said just the right things. He even said that he loved me!” “That doesn't sound like a different person,” Ross said, “that sounds like Dad. And he tells you he loves you all the time.” “There was something different this time. It was… in his eyes. I could feel it. I know that he meant it.” Ross put a comforting hand on her shoulder. “Of course he did, Karen. You’re the only one who ever doubts that. Still, I'm glad you had a great night.” He stifled a yawn and Karen noticed for the first time that he hadn’t shaved. “Did you get out of the house late this morning?” she teased, rubbing his scruff. “Oh, this? No, I ended up working the overnight shift.” “What? Rossie, that's the third time this week! You’re gonna burnout!” “Nonsense, I slept for two hours in the lounge.” “Two hours? That's all?” “Drop it, Karen,” he snapped. “I'm needed here.” He turned to walk away, but Karen followed at a rapid clip. “No, there's something else. Why aren't you going home? Is something wrong?” “Why do you read so much into things? Maybe I need the money.” “You do not need the money, Ross. What's going on? Can't we talk about things?” “Of course we can! When there's something going on, you will be the first to know. Now, I have patients to take care of and so do you.” He gave her a tense smile and made his way toward the E.R. Realizing she may not see him again before the end of the day, Karen grabbed his elbow. “Ross, wait!” “Karen, really, it's…” “No, it's not that, I have a favor to ask. One that you’re not going to really like.” “Uh-oh. Well when you put it like that, how can I say no?” “Seriously,” she said. “It's about your mother.” He took a deep breath and crossed his arms, leaning against the wall. “How did I know she would come up eventually? What is it?” “Listen, I would really like it if you didn't mention to Will that she's back in Autumn Lake.” Ross’s eyes bulged in disbelief. “What? Karen, that's ridiculous! He's going to find out eventually.” “I realize that, I just need a few more days.” “You’re trying to buy time? For what, Karen?” She rolled her eyes and averted her eyes from his gaze. “I hate it that you can read me like a book.” “And I hate it that you’re so insecure! Karen, I told you yesterday, my mother is not a threat to your marriage!” “Look, I understand you feeling that way, and I am sorry to ask. It's just that things are really good with Will and I right now and I don't want anything to cause a setback. Like it or not, Will and Diana have a history, one that I don't want him dwelling on right now.” He was quiet for a moment, considering her words. When he spoke, his voice was hushed. “That history is never going to go away, Karen.” “I know that!” She became aware of passing medical students and lowered her voice. “But aren't I entitled to a little time to make my own history with him, Ross?” “Yes,” he said finally. “I suppose you have a point. All right, I’ll do what I can.” “Thank you, Rossie!” she said, giving him a quick hug. “You are such a good guy!” “Yeah, yeah. But, listen, I’m not going to lie to him for you. If he asks me if I’ve heard from her, I’m going to tell him the truth.” “Of course, I wouldn't ask you to do that. But I plan to keep him so distracted that Diana Harris is going to be the last thing on his mind.” “You know, you should really channel some of that confidence into healthier outlets.” She punched him playfully on the arm. “Go change a bedpan, smartass.” Karen watched as Ross walked away and felt a sense of relief wash over her. She knew she could count on him. Now she just had to find a way to keep Emily quiet. But considering how poorly Emily had handled Diana’s absence, that might not be as difficult as it seemed. SCENE TWO – Emergency Room Alicia pushed the door to the Emergency Room open and walked in. She turned to see if Michael was still with her, but he was hovering outside. She went out and grabbed his arm and pulled him in. “Come on, I told you, this will only take a minute.” “Alicia, this is the ER, nothing takes just a minute. This is really not necessary.” “Not necessary? You just spent almost 6 hours at the police station making sure I was going to be okay, let me return the favor, okay?” He shook his head petulantly. “My hands are fine!” “Your hands are swollen like two balloons! You need to get them checked out.” “I don't know…I’m really tired and you need to get to class.” “Yeah, Michael, like I'm really going to class after last night!” she scoffed. She led him toward the front desk, but he indicated the crowd gathered in the waiting room. “Look at this place, Alicia. We’re going to be here for hours. I just sat on my butt waiting for a policeman to get his act together, I don't feel like waiting another three hours for a doctor. I want to go home and sleep.” “See, you haven't known me long enough to know that Alicia Sinclair doesn't wait for anything. I always get what I want, Michael.” Her eyes sparkled as she flashed a winning smile at him. In spite of himself, Michael laughed. “You scare me, you know that?” “Come on, watch. I've got connections.” They crossed to the reception desk and stepped in front of a line of four people. Michael looked apologetic, but was helplessly dragged along by the little spitfire. Alicia rapped impatiently on the counter in front of a shapely Asian nurse. “Excuse me, I need to see Dr…” “What you need to do is get in line, sugar.” Michael fought back a laugh as Alicia’s eyes opened so wide they nearly fell from her head. “As I was saying, I need to see Dr. Karen Bowman. Immediately.” “Fine.” The nurse mumbled, busying herself with a chart. “Get in line and when it's your turn I'll see if she's available.” “I'm sorry, Nurse… Wu, is it? Perhaps you didn't understand the severity of my situation. This is the emergency room, is it not? You see, my sister is Dr. Karen Bowman, wife of Dr. Will Bowman, the chief of staff? I'm sure you've heard of him. And…” she pushed Michael in front of her, “I have with me Mr. Michael Drummond, heir to the Drummond millions. I know his family practically owns this hospital, so maybe it might be in your best interest to make an exception.” Nurse Wu paused for a moment, raising her eyebrows and considering Alicia’s suggestion. “I'll call her immediately,” she said with a sigh. Alicia smiled wickedly. “I thought you might.” They made their way to an empty bench in the waiting room and Alicia felt Michael’s gaze boring into her. Turning, she found him grinning in amusement. “You are really something, Alicia Sinclair.” “Please, that was nothing. If she had really pissed me off, there'd have been a scene.” “No doubt.” Alicia resisted the urge to yawn and tried to make herself comfortable in the pleather seat. Unconsciously, she leaned her head against Michael’s shoulder and began to doze. As the sounds of the waiting room faded into a sleepy blur, she wondered how she could feel so comfortable with someone so quickly after meeting them… without benefit of sex! Her peaceful reverie was interrupted by the sound of her very annoyed older sister. “Alicia, what's this all about? I was in the middle of…” “Forget that, Karen, this is important,” Alicia snapped, jumping to her feet and shaking off her drowsiness. “I need you to fix Michael's hands.” Alicia watched as her sister went through her standard “three faces.” First there was anger, signified by the deep red flush to the face. Next came frustration, punctuated by a slight grunt as she struggled to find the right retort. Finally, there was resignation, accompanied by a deep sigh and a slight rolling of the eyes as Karen realized it was best to simply go along with Alicia, as fighting her had never ended with any kind of satisfaction. Karen crossed her arms and turned her attention to Michael. “And you are?” “I'm really sorry to interrupt your work, Dr. Bowman,” he began. “We can wait for another doctor if you…” “Nonsense!” Alicia spat. “Karen, this guy saved my life last night. I was almost raped and murdered!" “Oh my God! Are you okay?” She grasped her sister by the arm, all irritation washed away from her voice like a spring rain. Alicia turned on the scared little lamb routine… it always worked with Karen. “It was really horrible. This creep jumped out of the dark and held a knife to my throat. He was just about to stab me when Michael here jumped out of nowhere and did a major attack on the loser.” “That's horrifying! Did you go to the police?” “We've been there all night.” “What are they going to do to the guy who did this?” “Well, apparently, he was wanted for a rape over in Covington Bay a few years ago, so they put him away. Thank god.” Karen nodded solemnly and once again turned her gaze toward Michael. “Is this true?” “It's kind of an abridged version, but for the most part, yes.” She considered this for a moment and then hugged Michael tightly. “Thank you for helping my sister. She's the most important thing in the world to me.” Alicia smiled at the comment, genuinely touched by Karen’s sincerity. “So,” Karen said, releasing Michael. “What can I do for you?” “It’s my hands.” She looked at Michael's bruised hands, now clean of blood since he had washed it off at the police station. “Holy cow! You must have done a number on him, kid.” Michael fell silent and Alicia recognized a distance clouding his eyes; the same distance had overcome him earlier in the police station when he was asked to re-enact the crime. “He was incredible, sis,” she said, gently squeezing his shoulder. “He was a true hero.” “That's not true,” Michael said suddenly. “Please stop saying that.” She rolled her eyes, dismissing what she saw as false modesty. “Well, anyway, can you take a look at his hands and see if anything's broken?” “Yes.” She led them to an examining room, where Michael placed his hands on a silver tray. Karen looked at both hands closely. “Where do they hurt, Michael?” “Well, to be honest, they’re both just kind of numb.” She gave him a reassuring smile. “That's probably a good thing. All right, follow me and I'll take you to X-Ray. As for you,” she said, indicating Alicia, “I don't want you going anywhere, we need to talk.” “You got it. Thanks, Karen.” Alicia made her way back to the waiting room and took stock of the last twelve hours. Alone for the first time since the attack, she suddenly felt very frightened. A sense of panic began to rise in her chest, as she remembered the sensation of the knife against her throat and the smell of Max’s breath. No! She commanded silently, closing her eyes. I will not let this get to me. Push it back, Alicia, push it down into your soul, just like all the other times, all the other hurts. Push it down there with your mother and Danny and all those other idiots who hurt you. Just push it away, don’t think about it. “Alicia?” She gasped audibly, the tension of her silent meditation causing her nerves to be frayed. As her focus returned, she saw Emily Bowman standing nearby. “Are you okay?” Emily asked. “Oh my God, something didn’t happen to Karen, did it?” “No, no… it’s nothing,” Alicia said, trying to hide her irritation. Dealing with Emily on top of everything she’d gone through might require more skill than she was capable of right now. “It can’t be nothing,” Emily pushed, joining her, “I mean, you’re in the E.R. for God’s sake.” “And so are you, what’s your excuse?” Alicia snapped, instantly regretting it. Emily seemed a bit put off. “I came to see my father. His office is right down the hall, so it was easier to just come through the E.R.” “Right,” Alicia said. “Listen, I’m sorry I snapped. It’s just been a rough night. I had a little problem last night at the club. This guy tried to rape and kill me.” “Oh my God! That must have been what all those police cars and ambulances were doing in the parking garage last night! Alicia, we saw blood! What happened?” We? Alicia was mildly peeved at the concept of Emily and Kyle being a “we” but she ignored it. “I thought I was going to die. And then, out of nowhere, Kyle's cousin shows up and almost kills the guy!” “Michael? Michael Drummond?” “Yes. He was amazing! He saved my life!” “Wow.” “Yeah, wow indeed. It was amazing, he moved like Bruce Lee, Emily, kicking and punching this dirtbag. I had to physically stop him from killing him.” “Well, that explains why he never showed up last night." “Yeah, we had to go to the police station and make a statement and file charges.” Emily nodded, brushing a golden lock from her face. “So, why are you here? Do you have to get checked out?” “Oh no, I'm fine. But Michael hurt his hands really badly.” “Wow. I think I should wait and see how he is before I go and see my father.” “Karen’s with him now. It shouldn’t be long. Just X-rays or something.” “I see.” They sat in silence for a moment until Alicia noticed a sly grin crossing Emily’s face. “So you and Michael bonded last night, huh?” “I guess you could say that. We had to wait hours for them to let us leave the police station, and then we came right here. It gave us a lot of time to get to know one another. He's a very… interesting guy.” “And handsome. And single.” Alicia glared at her. “And your point is?” “Nothing, nothing,” Emily said, dismissing the comment. “Forget I said anything.” If she were anymore transparent, she’d be made of glass, Alicia thought. Clearly, Emily was trying to play matchmaker. Like I need her help, Alicia scoffed silently. Why did I have to try and be friends with this twit? To toy with Kyle? Compared to Michael Drummond, Kyle was a little boy. She couldn’t see him sitting with her all night in the police station, laughing at her corny jokes and watching late night reruns of Judge Judy. But there is the sex, Alicia remembered, allowing a sly grin to cross her face. And really, that was all she wanted from Kyle. She’d had other lovers, to be sure, but none like Kyle. She had to keep her eye on the prize. Michael Drummond was handsome. And single (apparently.) And rich. But Kyle was her plaything, her toy to command and do with as she pleased. And sometimes, having that kind of power was much more appealing than a long night watching Judge Judy. She thought of Michael’s scent as she leaned against his shoulder earlier and her smile faded slightly. Sometimes. SCENE THREE – Hospital Chapel Karen had told Michael it would be about a half-hour before X-Ray could see him, and he thanked her again for all her help. He decided to kill time by walking around the hospital. He couldn't bear to go back and listen to Alicia sing his praises anymore. If only she knew how important it was to him to keep his violent temper in check. Michael found his way to the hospital chapel and paused. He was not a religious man, preferring instead to find comfort in the more untraditional methods he had learned in Europe; meditation, yoga, tai chi, etc. However, he had been raised in a traditional WASP-y family, so he could still find peace in a church. Michael pushed open the doors and walked slowly to the altar. There was no one else in the small chapel, so he sat on a bench and spoke softly. “Well, I'm not really sure what I want to say or why I’m even here. I guess I feel like I need to apologize for hurting that guy. I feel like it wasn't really my place. “I mean, anyone would have stepped in and helped her, that was only the right thing to do. And, I do have some special… skills that gave me an edge. But I could have put an end to that attack without being so brutal, and it tears me up inside that I almost took a life. “I don't believe in ‘God’ I guess, at least not in the traditional sense. Not after everything I've been through in the last few years. I do believe in a higher plane of existence, though. I suppose that this is as good a place as any to try and reach that plane. “It would be… so easy to just accept the accolades that Alicia and her sister are giving to me. God, I wish I could think of myself as some kind of hero. But a true hero knows when his fight is done. I couldn't control myself and all I could see when I was hitting that stranger…all I could feel… was the face of someone else... of his face, his breaking bones.” He became aware of a sharp pain shooting up his arms and looked down to see his swollen hands clenched into angry fists. Taking several deep breaths, he relaxed and the pain subsided. “Please forgive me,” he continued. “Please help me not to hurt people. Please help me to release this anger and hatred I have inside of myself. Please help me to forgive him for the things he did to me…” He fell silent for a moment, quietly chanting and trying to regain some of the balance he’d fought so hard for these last few months. Rising to a standing position, he again cast his gaze heavenward. “If I can't learn to control this, someone is going to die, and I refuse to let someone else bear the brunt of a hatred that has another man's name on it.” He looked at his hands again and figured it was probably time to be heading back to X-Ray. SCENE FOUR – Emergency Room From behind a glass panel at the nurse's station, Karen watched her baby sister dozing fitfully. It had been too long since she had spent a significant amount of time with Alicia; it bothered Karen terribly that it took an event like this to bring them together. Since the wedding, she had concentrated on finding a place in the Bowman family, and Alicia had been sidelined as a result. I'll make more of an effort, Karen vowed silently. We've been through too much together to lose touch now. Making her way back toward the examination rooms, Karen stopped to pick up Michael's chart. She frowned a bit when she saw the strip of white tape on the back of the clipboard which read "DRUMMOND, M." Alicia had forgotten to mention that her knight in shining armor was a member of the Drummond family. Accidentally, I'm sure, Karen thought with a wry smile. Her sister had a way of making lemons out of lemonade and you couldn't find a better lemon these days than a Drummond. She was about to review the chart when a voice from behind her gave her a start. "Hey, Stepmommy." Emily Bowman smiled warmly as she leaned against the wall near Karen. "I just saw Alicia. I can't believe that happened! Is she gonna be alright?" "God, I hope so." She returned the chart to the rack and gently took the younger woman's arm. "Walk with me. What brings you here today? Don't you have class?" "Cancelled. Professor's sick." "Lucky you." "Yeah, so I thought I'd see if Daddy was available for breakfast, but it appears Ross beat me to the punch." Karen chuckled. She led Emily to a small bench and they sat. Realizing that this would be a perfect opportunity to talk to Emily about Diana, she chose her words carefully. "You doing okay, sweetie? I mean, really? Anything bothering you?" "Not really, why? "I don't know, you just seem a little... stressed." Karen watched as Emily considered her statement. "Well... things have just been a little tense with Kyle lately." "Really? How so?" "Oh, just work stuff," she said, waving her hand dismissively. "He's just getting a little more caught up with Drummond Enterprises than I wish that he were." "You might have to deal with that for a long time, kiddo. Kyle's been after a position in his family's company since forever. His sister used to tell me he was like a miniature version of their grandfather." Emily nodded. "Exactly. It's a side of him I'm not terribly comfortable with. But I'm dealing." "That's good to hear." Karen reached over and casually brushed a lock of hair from Emily's face. "And... how did things go with your Mom?" Her stepdaughter shifted uncomfortably in her seat. "I... I didn't think you'd want to discuss that." "Oh sweetie," Karen said. "You can tell me anything. I saw your Mom yesterday and she told me she was coming to see you. I knew that you've been really... well... hurt by her absence, so I wasn't sure how you'd take it." "It was uncomfortable, to say the least. I mean, she just waltzes in after all this time and..." her voice drifted off. "Go on," Karen encouraged her. "No. No I don't think I want to talk about this." Karen was stung. "With me?" she asked. "No, it's not that. I appreciate the concern. I'm still just, you know, processing." "Well I'm relieved to hear that. I'm here for you anytime. You know that, don't you?" "Yes, and thanks." Emily stood and began fumbling in her purse. "Speaking of which, I should probably call her and set up a time to go see her." She found her cell phone and began to dial, but Karen reached out and gently grabbed her arm. "Honey, before you do that, can I ask a favor of you?" Curious, Emily returned her phone to her purse. "Sure. What's up?" "Listen, I want you to know, I truly do hope you work through this stuff with your Mom. You're certainly old enough now to speak your mind and I'm confident that you'll be fine. But your Dad, on the other hand..." "Daddy," she whispered, obviously just now realizing how this would all affect him. "Yeah. Listen, he and your Mom have a lot of private issues between them, and I'm not sure how long she's going to be around for. So, until we know for sure, would you mind not mentioning to him that she's in town? He's under a great deal of stress right now and I don't want him to get upset if this turns into just a short visit. Do you know what I mean?" "I do," she nodded. "And, believe me, there's a part of me that wishes she'd hop on a plane right back to Chicago." Me too, Karen thought. "For your sake, honey, I hope she doesn't. You understand I'm just thinking about your Dad, right?" "Of course. And I think you're right. Let me just get an idea as to how long she's gonna be in town for sure. In the meantime, I won't say anything to Dad.' Karen nearly fell over in relief. "Thank you, sweetie. That means a lot to me." She pulled Emily into an embrace and tried not to exhale too loudly. Karen didn't like twisting things around when it came to Ross and Emily, but this was just too important. In spite of Ross's reassurances, Karen felt her relationship with Will was too fragile to withstand Diana's presence right now. "You're the best thing that's happened to Daddy in a long time, Karen," Emily whispered. Karen was touched. She squeezed her tightly and thought to herself, I sure am. Don't miss an episode! 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