From: Lisa Klobucar <lisa@ah5.cal.msu.edu>



Begin forwarded message:


Here is the Holiday Countdown Update for Another World for Friday, 

December 15, 1995:

* Bay City PD Throws Party; Cold Night, Hot Date (Gabe & Lorna)
* Ex-Doc & Wife Hit an Impasse (John & Sharlene)
* Bay City General Celebrates the Season - Who ARE These People?
* Carl's Christmas Party (Carl & Grant)
* Matt Sets a Trap (Matt, Donna, Mike)



TROUBLE ON THE FARM
John/Sharlene

     John is incensed to learn that Sharlene sold the farm without telling
him.  He grabs the purchase agreement from her hand and rips it up, you
can't do this.  That was just a copy, she says, the sale is still
official, I had no choice.  He rants and raves that she didn't believe he
could get a job, I'll even go back to the hospital as a lowly doctor if I
have to.  Tearfully, she shows him the notice from the malpractice
insurance company that they won't pay the settlement - they had a
"culpability clause," and he admitted guilt [moral: check with your
attorney before you admit causing someone's death on TV].  John berates
himself for letting things come to this, he'd promised to protect her, to
be strong for her and Gregory.  I can handle this, she answers.  We should
have made this decision together, he rages, couldn't you have waited until
I got home?  I didn't know when that would be - if at all, she weeps, I'm
afraid I'm losing you!  John is stunned, then he accuses her of selling
the farm to punish him for bringing the lawsuit on them.  I didn't think
we should wait until we had to declare bankruptcy and the bank foreclosed
on our mortgage, she argues.  You're right, John answers quietly, you did
what you had to do for Gregory...  He pulls on a sweater and grabs his
coat, there's something I have to do, he tells her.  She begs him to stay
so they can sit and figure things out.  You're obviously doing fine on
your own, he laughs resentfully.  She accuses him of rushing off to the
woman who had left the lipstick stain on his collar.  That was a little
old lady, he repeats, a former patient, she kissed me and gave me $5
because she felt sorry for our troubles and wanted to help, how pathetic
is that?  Nobody sees you that way but you, she answers - I love you,
isn't that enough, this farm means nothing to me without you.  She bursts
into tears, and he holds her and strokes her hair, then promises he'll be
back, and exits [see below].  She sinks onto their living room steps and
sobs.  Later she starts to clear up the living room - she picks up John's
shirt and stews over the lipstick stain on the collar. 



KID STUFF
Gabe/Lorna/Tom'as/Maggie/Sofia/Nick

     Gabe [who's completely naked under his clothes] walks Lorna down the
snowy street to the precinct house.  She's baffled about what kind of date
this will be.  It starts right here, he tells her cryptically.  Suddenly,
Tom'as and Pam and the other volunteers arrive with a bunch of kids from
the hospital [why they bring sick kids outdoors on a winter night is
beyond me], singing Christmas carols.  Gabe and Lorna flirt a little, then
he gets a megaphone and welcomes all the kids to the First Annual [we'll
see] BCPD Christmas Party.  To kick it off, he leads Lorna over to a big
electrical switch.  She pulls it, and it lights up the huge outdoor
Christmas tree.  Lorna is delighted, how did you know I'm a sucker for
kids and Christmas trees, I can't even be mad at you for not having a real
date.  Oh, it'll be very real, he tells her, just be patient, good things
are worth waiting for.  He warms her hands - with his lips. 

     Maggie shows up with Sofia - sorry I'm late, she tells Tom'as, but I
brought help.  Tom'as greets Sofia, recognizing her from seeing her with
Nick at Carlino's.  Nick rides up on his motorcycle.  To Maggie's
displeasure, he's looking for Sofia, gives her the gloves she left at the
farmhouse.  Maggie, miffed, drags her away.  Tom'as snarls at Nick to
leave unless he's here to help.  Nick starts helping hand out gifts to the
kids, as Sofia watches. 

     Lorna offers a present to a young girl in a wheelchair, but the girl
tells her to can the Santa crap, I'm a little old for dolls, excuse me
while I hurl.  As Gabe watches, Lorna retorts that I was supposed to be
having a wildly romantic evening but my date brought me here instead, and
I was having a wonderful time until your crabby attitude brought me down. 

The girl apologizes, then Lorna cheers her up by giving her her bracelet
instead, and they share a hug.  As they go to get more gifts, Gabe asks
Lorna if she's having a good enough time to repeat it next year - this
will be an annual event, and as hospital P.R. director it would be her job
to help coordinate [like Lorna's jobs ever last that long].  Great, Gabe,
keep talking business to me, you're really scoring points here, she digs. 

He looks a little embarrassed; as they smile at each other, Felicia
arrives, looking distressed [she should really see a shrink about this -
and so should John, they're both acting too weird for words], and sees
them together. 




HOSPITAL POTPOURRI
Gabe/Lorna/Felicia/PseudoMarshall/Dana/Rita/Vampire/Natasha/Al/Tom'as/
Maggie/Sofia/Nick

     Gabe and Lorna enter the hospital to wheel a cart of gifts around. 

Lorna offers to find them another private examining room, but Gabe says
gifts first, date later. 

     PseudoMarshall brings flu-ridden Dana to the hospital.  Dana protests
that the doctors are busy with real emergencies, she doesn't need to be
examined.  Rita comes over, and confirms that non-emergencies have to
wait.  Marshall insists that Rita check Dana out herself; Dana objects to
being treated by his surly ex-wife.  We'll start with an enema, says Rita,
to Dana's horror - just kidding, she adds.  She leads Dana to an examining
room. 

     The vampire guy [sorry, his name escapes me], strolling the halls
with a tall blonde, introduces her to another patient as Natasha, from
"the old country."  The friend, an old guy named Al, pulls a coin from
behind her ear.  They all go off together to discuss magic and other
occult sciences. 

     Felicia enters the hospital and sees Lorna handing out gifts.  Lorna
thinks Felicia should go home, she looks tired; but Felicia is trying to
keep busy, and offers to stay and help.  She hands a gift to a patient -
it's Al, he thanks her by magically producing a flower from the air and
giving it to her - may your beauty blossom forever, he tells her. 

     Later, Felicia is reading "The Gifts of the Magi" to a gathering of
patients and volunteers.  Tom'as overhears Natasha tell the vampire man
that "it's a story you can sink your teeth into."  Maggie scowls as Sofia
takes Nick aside and thanks him for bringing her gloves.  As Felicia
reads, she notices Gabe whisper something to Lorna and they sneak out
together.  He's tells her it's time for that romantic evening I promised,
I know a place where it'll be just the two of us [see below!]. 

     Felicia finishes reading the story, and the gathering breaks up. 

Maggie suggests that Sofia stay and become a volunteer.  Nick isn't
pleased when Sofia accepts the offer. 

     Al, the magician, starts wheezing and clutching his chest.  Felicia
calls to Tom'as, who suspects cardiac arrest and gets Al on the floor,
calling a medical alert. 


     John comes to the hospital, stifles his pride [mostly] and goes in to
Rita's [formerly John's] office to ask for his job back, not as Chief of
Staff, just as a doctor.  Rita says it's not up to her, the Board would
have to agree.  Do I have to beg, John argues, I happen to know you're
short-handed.  A nurst bursts in and says there's a possible cardiac
arrest, they need a doctor stat.  John rushes out before Rita can stop
him.  In the emergency room, he takes charge of the team and tries to
stabilize Al's condition, as Rita and another man stand and watch.  Tom'as
exits the room, telling Maggie, Nick and Sofa that the guy is still alive
but it doesn't look good. 

     Later, on his way out, John sees Felicia sitting and weeping on a
bench in the lobby.  He sits beside her, tells her he's not officially
back to work, and he doesn't know yet if Al will make it.  She shows him
the flower Al had given her; he takes her hanky to wipe away her tears,
but she stops him.  Don't do this, she tells him, and she exits.  Rita
comes along and says she wants to see him in her office.  He rises,
unconsciously pockets the hanky [for Sharlene to find later, no doubt],
and follows Rita to the office. 



ROMANTIC EXPECTATIONS
Gabe/Lorna

     Gabe brings Lorna to a secret destination, covering her eyes.  She
hears water and guesses the Harbor Club - but it turns out they're on a
boat on the lake, decorated with candles and flowers.  Is this yours? she
gasps with amazement.  Let's just say it's under my jurisdiction - you
don't want to know, he answers - but for tonight it's ours.  He takes off
his coat and puts it around her shoulders, turns on some music, and
watches her face as she gazes at Bay City across the lake.  No guy's ever
done anything like this for me before, she says emotionally.  Truth is, he
answers, I've never done anything like this for anyone before.  He wipes a
tear from her eye, their lips nearly meet - Dance with me, he says. 

Thought you'd never ask, she smiles.  They start dancing, very close.  As
he whirls her around the deck, he asks her how this stacks up to her
romantic expectations.  Beyond my wildest fantasies, she answers.  Time to
make some more, he tells her.  They start to kiss, wrapping their arms
around each other.  She inexplicably pulls away from the kiss, but stays
in his arms.  They gaze at each other as the dance continues... 




HOW TO TRAP A SOCIALITE
Matt/Donna

     Matt, alone in their bedroom, opens Donna's jewelry box, pulls out
one of the earrings he'd given Donna as a wedding present, and pockets it. 

Donna, thinking her deception about the farm couple has worked, comes home
and tries to make nice, but Matt coldly tells her this evening she'll get
the surprise he promised her.  He waits for her to dress to go out.  She
senses something's wrong, but he denies it - especially since we talked
with the nasty farmer and his wife about the night of the flat tire, she
repeats.  Matt tells Donna he wants her to wear those earrings he gave her
for their wedding.  He pulls the remaining one from the jewelry box, but
the other is missing.  He convinces her she must have lost it in the
accident, and insists they go to the crash site right now and try to find
it. 



VICKY'S CHRISTMAS PARTY
Vicky/Grant/Steven/Carl/Mike/Donna

     Vicky, still recovering from the flu, is surprised and dismayed to
answer the door in her bathrobe and find it's Grant again.  Grant is
confused, shows her an invitation he got to come here for a special
Christmas party.  Look, cries Steven, it's Santa!  Sure enough, to Grant's
discomfort, Carl arrives dressed as Father Christmas, with a big sack of
gifts. 

     Mike arrives to find the party in progress.  Santa/Carl gives Steven
a gift - it's a castle set, with your very own "white knight," he says. 

Steven reveals he knows the man is Grampa Carl, the real Santa doesn't
come until Christmas.  With Vicky sick, says Carl, I volunteered to help
Santa out.  He gets Steven to help him hand out the other gifts - one for
Vicky, one for Kirk (asleep in his room), even one for Mike - and a
special one for Grant.  Grant is leery, but Steven insists he open it now. 

Grant is relieved to see it's just a sweater - but Vicky recognizes it as
one of Ryan's.  I gave it to him last Christmas, says Carl, our first real
holiday together, hardly worn.  Grant doesn't want to accept it.  I'm sure
it'll fit, needles Carl, you don't have any qualms about wearing it, do
you? 

     While Grant is putting Steven to bed, Mike surprises Vicky by asking
why Jake isn't around - I know, he's not my favorite person, but...  He's
better than Grant? Vicky finishes.  Grant saved our lives, she explains; 

besides, Ryan had all sorts of plans for the kids this Christmas, and
Grant is stepping in and fulfilling those things - he's Kirk's father,
Steven likes having him around, and I can't take away the role he's
playing in their happiness this time of year.  Just be careful, Mike
warns, don't let him use the kids to get to you.  Grant returns, and they
tell him Carl went out to check the car.  Grant makes a hasty exit, and
runs into Carl outside. 

     Donna slips in from the back, says she wanted to avoid Carl and Grant
arguing out front.  Mike rolls his eyes as Donna fusses over Vicky's
illness.  Then Donna asks Vicky, was I wearing both earrings the night of
the accident when you saw me.  Vicky can't remember.  Kirk fusses from the
nursery; when Vicky goes to check on him, Donna tells Mike she's afraid
she lost the earring in his barn that night.  Matt is suspicious, she
frets, he's been grilling me, if I don't have that other earring when I
meet him at the Harbor Club, he'll be livid.  She drags Mike back to the
barn to help her look [see below]. 

     Outside, Carl goads Grant for leaving without the sweater.  Grant
gloats that he caught Carl following him earlier.  Oh, I'm always there,
always, even when you don't see me, like the wind, Carl says ominously. 

Don't push me too far, Grant warns him.  Even the devil has his day, Carl
answers, your mother did, and so will you.  Why were you snooping around
my car trunk? Grant demands.  You already know, says Carl, your spare tire
is missing, you want to make sure the police can't match your tire tread
to the tracks found at the trestle the night Ryan was murdered.  Give it
up, snorts Grant, the proof you're looking for doesn't exist.  Don't be
too sure, sneers Carl, Rachel remembers a little more every day - once her
memory is complete, I promise you'll suffer the consequences for killing
your brother! 

     Later, Carl and Vicky sit nestled on the sofa, gazing at the fire in
the fireplace.  Ryan would have been 30 on Christmas Eve, murmers Vicky, I
miss him, so much.  I know, child, all too well, Carl answers. 



MATT GETS HIS ANSWER
Donna/Mike/Matt

     Back at Mike's farm, as they sift through the hay in the barn, Donna
predicts that finding the earring should satisfy Matt's doubts once and
for all, he believed everything else I've told him, didn't suspect the
"farm couple" were actors.  We'll never find it, says Mike, just tell Matt
it's lost and be done with it.  I can't give up, says Donna, my marriage
depends on it, try over there where we started dancing.  As they search, a
dark figure spies from a hidden corner.  Mike repeats that finding the
earring in here will be impossible.  Donna is frantic - look over there
where we danced, and there where we kissed, and there where we...  Just
say it, says Mike with exasperation, there where we made love - we made
love on your supposed wedding night, nothing can change it, no lie will
make it go away.  Matt has FINALLY heard enough; looking very grim, he
starts to emerge from his hiding place behind them.  FREEZE FRAME. 




HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO ALL!  Until next time,

Vicky (vkorosei@sinclair.edu)


