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Date: Sun, 21 Jan 1996 17:33:21 -0700
From: Robert Willers <willers@trombone.sps.mot.com>
To: cityupdate@server.Berkeley.EDU
Subject: LovUpdate: CITY: Update for Friday, January 19
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Reply-To: Robert Willers <willers@trombone.sps.mot.com>
Status: R

Some of you may have wondered where the Friday updates went.  Well, I
fell behind in watching the show.  *Way* behind...as much as six weeks
behind.  While I was behind, I sent some updates to Cari for her to put
on the LOVING/CITY Web page, but I am finally caught up and I should be
able to do Friday updates for the foreseeable future, so here's...

THE CITY Update for Friday, January 19:

STORYLINE: ALL STORYLINES INTERTWINE...
 (starting location: A hallway in the building)
* Sydney and Samuel are returning from a merger meeting.  Sydney is
 complaining that the meeting went so badly that it set the merger back
 at least three months.  He asks what happened.  Nothing, just snag
 after snag.  She thinks someone is trying to sabotage the merger, and
 it just may be Malcolm.  She tells him that she hired Alex to check
 some things out.  Samuel tells Sydney that Tess was probing him about
 Jared the other night, and that he "put the fear of God" into her.
 Sydney says that Tess isn't sophisticated enough to be doing this, and
 she sends him upstairs while she talks to Alex about this.
[In some other office.]
Meanwhile, Malcolm is telling (somebody) that he thinks Sydney is out on
 a precipice, looking in.  That's good, he says, but not good enough.
 "I don't want her staring into the abyss, I want her _swimming_ in it!"
[At Angie's apartment.]
Angie is staring out a window, then pacing around the apartment.  She
 sits at a desk and fiddles with some papers.  Jacob walks by and says
 he is going to work.  She asks him about dinner; he says he'll grab
 something at the bar.  She says she remembers when she used to get a
 kiss good-bye.  He walks over and obliges...on her forehead.  "See you
 later."  She asks him to wait a minute -- how long is he going to keep
 this up?  He says he's sorry, he's just a little bit bent out of shape
 right now.  She says Kayla and Zoey are at the movies, and they could
 use this time to talk.  What would she like to talk about?  Anything.
 OK, why did you lie to the social worker?  She says she knows she lied,
 but...  Jacob interrupts, saying she might have cost Kayla a perfect
 set of parents!  "Or is that what you had in mind?"
[At the City Bar.]
Nick is strumming a guitar.  At another table, some [white] guys are
 talking about "trashing a doctor's office" to "teach mama a lesson."
 They see a "babe at 4:00" and try to talk one of them into "going for
 it."
We pan to the "babe" -- it's Jocelyn.  Alex enters and sits down with
 her.  He tells her that Sydney offered him a job -- and she just walked
 in the door.  We pan to Sydney, who is walking past Nick; he asks her
 if she has any requests.  "Yes, actually: Drop dead!"  She stomps off.
 Nick (seemingly) ponders her "request."
* Sydney walks to Jocelyn and apologizes for coming down hard on her.
 She says she was just having a bad day -- she's had a lot of those
 lately.  Jocelyn tells her not to worry about that and she has some
 papers ready if she wants to take a look.  No, actually, Sydney wants
 to talk to Alex -- alone.  Jocelyn leaves to "powder her nose."  Sydney
 sits down and asks what he has.  "A headache."  He points out that she
 only hired him two hours ago.  She says time is of the essence.  Alex
 says that this isn't going to happen overnight.  She says it would help
 if he *got started*.  He says he has done some preliminary work; she
 asks what.  He asks if she wants a step-by-step rundown.  She wants to
 know what he's doing.  He says he has made some inquiries, and he has
 gotten the phone records for everyone on her list.  Sydney, seemingly
 impressed, asks how he managed that.  He just says he managed it.  She
 suggests that he pay particular attention to Malcolm.  He says he plans
 to.  "So what's next?"  "Dinner." -- Alex works best on a full stomach.
 He tells her to feel free to deduct every bite from his _per diem_; she
 says, "Don't worry, I will."
The guys are discussing Angie and Kayla's situation: "She's black, the
 kid's *white*!  It's messed up!"  One of them brings up "that Steve
 Martin movie" [THE JERK], quoting the line, "I was born a poor black
 child."  They ask Buck for "some service over here."  Buck says he'll
 be by in a minute.
Buck walks over to Nick with some coffee.  Nick, having overheard some
 of that discussion, comments that those guys are a "nice crowd."  Buck
 says he may need Nick's help later to toss their butts out of here.
[At Angie's apartment.]
Jacob says all they talk about is Kayla, and he is relieved.  Angie asks
 him if he is going to ignore her for the rest of their lives, or are
 they going to talk about this?  He says he loves her, but that he is
 sick and tired of talking about this, and words aren't going to fix
 anything right now.  She asks how they know if he won't discuss it.
 He says they *have*, and it hasn't helped, and they did agree that the
 best thing is for Kayla to get into a permanent home, then the couple
 came, and everything they talked about went right out the window.  She
 says Kayla was scared.  What if a kid comes into the clinic someday in
 need of a flu shot and it turns out that the kid is afraid of needles?
 Will she call her parents and lie to them?  Of course not, says Angie.
 Jacob can't *believe* she lied like that to the Hansens.  Angie says
 she panicked.  Jacob says there are no guarantees, but people like
 that don't come around every day.  Angie says she simply *postponed*
 the meeting.  Jacob laughs -- everyone knew she was lying.  He asks if
 she really thinks they'll be back.  Yes, if they're really interested.
 Angie says Kayla looked betrayed.  Jacob goes to leave -- they're just
 repeating the same points.  He says *she* is the one who usually has
 the level head, but this time, she is heading for a fall, with Kayla in
 tow -- is *that* what she really wants?
* [At the City Bar.  Alex is munching on a burger now.]
Sydney asks Alex if he knows anything about computers.  She says someone
 is leaving anonymous messages via the Internet and she wants to know
 how they are getting by her security code.  He says he can't do this,
 but he knows a kid, Darren Sanders, from Corinth, who is now attending
 Columbia University and would be able to help.  Sydney tells Alex to
 get him over there.  He asks what kind of messages.  She says that's
 not important.  He says it is -- she has to provide him with details
 like that.  Sydney says he'll get his information on a "need to know"
 basis.  He says he needs to know.  She says nothing; he has everything
 he needs to get started, and [she reaches into her purse] he is being
 *very* well paid.  And [she hands him the check] she expects a full
 progress report tomorrow morning.  He takes the check and assures her
 that she'll get that progress report.  Sydney gets up and leaves.
Jocelyn returns.  "Are you crazy?  Working for Sydney Chase?"  He says
 there *must* be some logic there, but he can't find it, as she works
 for her, too.  That's different, she's her lawyer.  He says she needed
 a P. I.  But why him?  He says, "Thanks a *lot*!"  She points out that
 people from Corinth aren't Sydney's favorite people.  He says she must
 have felt he was the best man for the job.  What *is* that job, asks
 Jocelyn.  He calls it CEO paranoia and tells her about the job.  She
 asks if that means he is going to check her out.  He says he checks her
 out every chance he gets.  "No answer."  He says that Sydney thinks
 it's Malcolm.  Jocelyn gets that fearful look in her eyes.  Alex says
 frankly, he hopes it *is* Malcolm.  In fact, that's one reason he took
 the job: because Alex knows Malcolm is hassling her and he'd love to
 nail him to the wall!
Buck is asking the guys to tone it down a bit.  They say they're just
 having some fun.  One of the guys says they'll try to be quieter.  Buck
 asks what he can do for them.  Four more beers, and sometime before the
 next century would be nice.  Buck bites his lip and says he doesn't
 think they are from around here.  One of the guys says that they were
 bussed-in as part of the "familial desegregation program."  Another guy
 says they're from Morristown and they used to come down there a lot.
 Yet another says they stopped when the town went to Hell.  Buck asks
 what that means.  "Don't you read the papers?"  "No, he just looks at
 the pictures."  Buck gets in that guy's face and asks if he would like
 to "meet Mr. Fist."  The guy tells Buck to "chill."  Another guy says
 that there is a black doctor in the building...  Yeah, says Buck, he
 knows Dr. Hubbard.  The guy continues, explaining to Buck that she is
 trying to adopt a white kid.  "Yeah, so?"  "You don't got a problem
 with that?"  "No, I got a problem with stupid racist punks like you."
 "Hey, I got no problem with black people, all right?  I just don't want
 them raising our kids."  Buck says the kid was living on the streets,
 with a mother who was a crack addict -- she's a little better off now,
 don't you think?  Yeah, says one of the punks, and she probably learned
 how to dance, too.  Buck picks him up out of his chair and tells them
 that he wants them out of there -- now!  "Come again?"  "You heard me,
 OUT or line up!"  "Fine, let's blow.  This place was getting a little
 'dark' for me, anyway."  They grab their coats and leave, saying, "See
 you later, toughie."
Alex can't wait to get his hands on Malcolm's phone records -- then, he
 will know who Malcolm's friends are.  Jocelyn's pager goes off -- she
 is late for a meeting.  She gets up to leave, hurriedly.  She pecks
 him on the cheek.  "But I thought--"  Alex stops because Jocelyn is
 already gone.  He frowns as he tosses his napkin down on the plate.
[At Angie's apartment.]
Angie asks what she's supposed to do -- just return Kayla to Social
 Services?  Jacob says that might not be a bad idea.  He says that a
 good foster parent doesn't lie to the people who are trying to adopt
 the kid; maybe Kayla needs a new foster home.  Angie asks why not just
 toss her into an orphanage or back onto the streets?  Jacob says that
 this situation *can't* be good for Kayla.  Angie accuses him of having
 a problem with Kayla being white.  Jacob says this is *not* about that,
 but that there are certain realities which need to be looked at.  Angie
 says she won't have this "reduced" to a racial issue.  "You saw the
 newspaper.  Like it or not, it *is* a racial issue."  She asks if he
 thinks she should be taken away from her and to Hell with what happens
 to her?  No, maybe she'll be better off with her own--  Angie says she
 can't *believe* he said that.  This isn't about that, says Jacob, this
 is about Angie, Kayla, the clinic--  Angie asks what this has to do
 with the clinic.  It's her dream, and it is finally happening, and the
 last thing she needs is bad press.  Angie says this is a health clinic,
 not a political campaign.  He says she needs proper funding.  She can't
 believe he is "doing this" to her -- making her feel guilty.  "This is
 about a child who has come into my life and needs my help!"  She says
 that doesn't make her naive or blind, "it makes me [she beings to break
 down] a decent human being, which is more than I can say for--"  Jacob
 asks, "For who?"  "...which is more than I can say for everyone else."
 "Am I to assume I am included with this 'everyone else'?"  "Jacob, I
 just wish you would try to understand."  "Look, sweetheart, I *do*
 understand that you wanted to help, and that's good, but you're not
 helping any more, and that's not good for either you or Kayla."  Angie
 says that's his opinion.  Jacob says he is going...going crazy!  He
 leaves.  Angie cries.
[At the other office.]
"Malcolm, this merger can not come to fruition."  Malcolm assures the
 other person that he is "in the loop" now.  "Sydney can't sneeze
 without me knowing about it."  The other person warns Malcolm that
 Sydney is clever and to not underestimate her.  Malcolm's cellular
 phone rings.  "Gloria, I told you I didn't want to--"  "I need to
 see you.  Now."  Jocelyn hangs up the pay phone at the bar.
[In the hallway.]
Nick gets into the elevator.  Sydney enters from the opposite side.
 "Ah.  Penthouse?"  She shoots him an icy glare.  The elevator doors
 close.  Sydney is looking over some photos she just picked up.  Nick
 is just smiling.  Suddenly, the power flickers and the elevator stops.
 Sydney asks, "What the hell was that?"  "You talkin' to me?"
* The power flickers again.  Sydney says she doesn't have time for this
 today.  Nick suggests she talk to the owner of the building.  She says
 this isn't funny!  He says that fate must be in a cruel mood tonight.
[At Jocelyn's door.]
Malcolm is knocking, saying he knows she's in there.  A gun is stuck
 into his back, and Jocelyn is at the trigger end.  "I'm right here,
 Malcolm."
[At the City Bar.]
Jacob enters.  Buck asks Jacob where he has been.  "Trust me, man, you
 don't want to know."  Jacob walks away.
[At the clinic.]
The punks break in, flashlights in hand.  One is reluctant, saying this
 isn't such a good idea.  Another tells him to go wait in the car and
 do his needlepoint.  The reluctant one asks what they'll do if they're
 caught.  A third says they "have orders to shoot to kill."  They start 
 to write (paint?) on the walls.  One punk completes a work of art and
 calls the others over.  They admire it for a moment, then they hear
 someone coming.  It's Angie at the door.  She enters and turns on the
 lights.  "What are you guys--?"  They run out.  On their way out, one
 punk shoves Angie into the wall.  She collapses on the floor.

-----
|  Tongue-twister of the month:                        |  Bob Willers  |
|    Say this ten times as fast as you can:            |  Phoenix, AZ  |
|    "Bitter Budget Battle"                            | MY opinions!! |
+------------ willers@trombone.sps.mot.com ------------+---------------+

