From: Riley <LMT94002@uconnvm.uconn.edu>

The City--Update--Friday, January 24, 1997


Storyline:  Tracey gets the goods

The doctor's office.  Dr. Marino asks Tracey what she is doing there.
Tracey will asks the questions.  He tells her she has no business there.
She takes the check from him and reads $5,000.  That's a little steep
for an office visit.  She would hate to see what he would charge for a
housecall.  He's calling security.  Tracey can't wait to hear what sordid
little tale he would tell them, or would it be what she's going to tell
them.  What is she talking about?  She supposes it's about a doctor and
his ethics...or lack thereof.  She doesn't think it is exactly ethical
to help a patient fake a pregnancy.  She knows about the phony miscar-
riage too.  He hangs up the phone and asks what she wants.  He may be an
obstetrician, but she thinks it's time she gave him a refresher course in
the facts of life.

Carla and Tony get to his apartment and go inside.  He calls out for
Danny, but no one answers.  Tony figures he's working late.  He offers
her something to drink.  Seltzer is fine.  He goes to the refrigerator
and sees a note from Danny on it, saying that he is driving Ally and
Tyler up to her mother's.  Carla looks entirely pleased on the couch.

Tony crumples the note up angrily.  Carla asks where her mother lives.
Buffalo.  Didn't Tony know she was goign?  Yes, he knew.  It was a family
emergency.  Her step-father died.  they weren't very close, but her
mother needs her now.  Tony was supposed to go with them...  But, he
didn't go because of her, right?  Carla is so sorry (yeah, right).  She
was just so scared about the baby.  She didn't think about anything else.
It's not her fault.  It's not like she planned it.  Isn't there anything
Tony can do?  Can he catch a later train?  No.  Carla offers to call
Penn Station, but Tony yells that is' all right.  He yells at her to
forget it.  He apologizes for yelling at her.  She's so sorry she messed
things up again.  She really is trying to set things right.  She even
talked to Ally the other day.  She did?  yes, she went there to apologize
but Ally was not in the mood to hear her side at all.  Tony asks if they
can change the subject.  That's fine with her, but she just wanted to be
up front with him about it because that's the kind of girl she is.  Tony
thanks her.  He can always look on the bright side she says...everything
seems really bad right now, but there is soemthing really wonderful
coming their way.  Tony doesn't get it, but she says, "The baby!"  Tony
smiles a little, "Oh yeah, right.  The baby."

Dr. Marino doesn't understand.  Does he remember her fiancee, Gino
Soleito?  Well, he's absolutely thrilled that he's going to be a grand-
father.  In fact, he's got one of those silly shirts that say, "I may
be young and attractive, but I'm actually a Grandpa."  He adores Carla.
She is his only child.  Tracey can't begin to imagine how devastated he
will be when he finds out that Carla was only faking the pregnancy to
hold onto her husband.  I know he'll forgive her.  He always forgives
her.  But he will be looking for someone to blame.  Tracey wouldn't want
to be the messenger of that kind of knews.  Dr. Marino protests, but
Tracey doesn't stop.  Dr. Marino didn't stop her, She says.  She says
it's done and over with now.  Dr. Marino gets it.  He'll just sign the
check over to her.  Please.  $5,000 is junk change.  He says he doesn't
have much.  It's not a money thing.  Well, then, what does she want?  His
card.  She takes it and adds it to the file that he was keeping.  She
reminds him that it does say in the file that Carla's pregnancy test was
"negativo."  Dr. Marino does't trust Carla.  He needed a little bit of
insurance just in case she decided he's no longer needed.  She says she
has it now and he officially works for her now.  What does she want?
She'll let him know.  She'll be in touch.

Tony brings Carla some cheese and crackers.  She's not really hungry.  He
tells her to have a cracker.  She takes one and he tells her to have
another one.  How many does she have to eat?  Until he says she's had
enough.  Yes, sir.  He really does care, doesn't he?  He told her he
cares about the baby...now, shut up and eat.  She really is grateful that
he was with her at the doctor's office today and that he is with her now,
even if he is making her stuff her face, like she isn't going to be fat
enough.  He tells her to eat.  She guesses that she is binging for two
now...  She really gave him a scare back there.  He was really worried.
He asks if there were any warning signs.  No, she just started getting
these really bad cramps and at first she thought it was morning sickness
and then she looked down and saw the blood, so she called Dr. Marino.
She never wants to go through that again.  That makes two of them.  She
guesses she just didn't realize how much she wanted this baby until she
almost lost it.  She doesn't want to lose this baby.  He tells her she
won't lose the baby, trust him.  Does she think they have books on how
to be a father?  He figured he would do a bit of reading.  She says he's
going to be a wonderful father.  The doorbell rings.  It's Tracey.  She
asks if Carla is there.  Yeah.  Tracey laughs characteristically and
asks if he's goign to ask her in.  Actually, no.  He doesn't think she
should have any visitors right now.  He doesn't think it's a very good
time.  Well, all she needs is Gino's chest size.  She saw a wonderful
sweater for him and she wants to get it.  Tony tells her it will have to
wait.  He whispers taht Carla almost lost the baby today.  Oh my god!
She runs in and Carla sees her and asks what she's doing there.  Taking
her to the hosptial.  She picks up the phone, but Tony takes it away from
her and tells her he took care of it.  He took her to the doctor's
already.  Carla's okay.  Tracey says that's not good enough.  They need
to get her to the hospital right away.

Carla says she has already been to the doctor and she checked out okay.
Tracey says she can never be too careful in a situation like this.  She
needs to be in a hospital with doctors and nurses to watch over her.
She'll be fine.  Tracey asks if the doctor did sonogram.  No, but...
But, nothing.  She knows that she and Tony will feel a lot better when
they see that beautiful child wriggling around on the screen.  Tracey
bets Angie has a sonogram machine downstairs.  She won't even have to
leave the building.  Carla says she's not leaving the building.  In
fact, she's not leaving the apartment.  Tony says it's doctor's orders.
Carla echoes him.  Tracey gives in, saying she guesses doctor knows best.
All Carla needs now is rest.  Tracey doesn't need to worry.  Tony will be
there.  Tracey says he doesn't need to be there.  She's family.  Carla
doesn't think she could rest if Tracey was there.  Tracey's going to
leave.  If they will excuse her, Carla is going to go lie down.  Good
idea, little mother, Tracey says.  Tracey turns to Tony and says, "So,
you're going to be a daddy."  Carla eavesdrops.


Storyline:  A proposal denied

Lorraine is at Angie and Jacob's.  Lorraine wants to know why they
decided to turn her down.  Nick shows up.  Nick hopes he's not too late.
No, he's just in time.  Angie and Jacob are telling her that she's not
good enough to carry their child, Lorraine says.

Nick tells her to take it easy, but Lorraine knows that's it.  She's not
good enough, is she?  They are trying to let her down easily.  Yes, they
are, but...  Nick tells her to relax.  Lorraine turns to Nick and says
to him that she bets he feels vindicated now.  Nick admits that he thinks
they made the right decision for all concerned.  Lorraine asks why they
are doing this to her.  She is opening herself up to them and they are
pushing her away.  They are not pushing Lorraine away.  Lorraine says
that they want to have a child.  She is willing to be a surrogate mother.
She is offering her services and they will not take them.  Please tell
her why.  Jacob announces that it is because she is an alcoholic.  Did
she ever think of that?

Lorraine says she is a "recovered" alocoholic.  Jacob believes the word
is "recovering."  The point is that she hasn't had a drink in over a year
What about when Nick was sick.  Lorraine said she had a slip, but Angie
knows it was because Nick was dying.  Nick wants to leave, but Lorraine
wants to hear what they have to say.  Angie says that kind of slip, or
binge drinking, during a pregnancy can be more dangerous to a child than
someone having one drink every day.  Lorraine says it wasn't a binge and
she would never be so weak as to drink during pregnancy.  They are not
judging her.  Lorraine says they have already tried and convicted her.
Nick wants to go, but Lorraine says she e doesn't think it is really
about her drinking.  Angie agrees with Nick.  Lorraine wants her to be
truthful.  Isn't this about Jacob?  She wants Angie to be honest with
her.  Is she jealous because she and Jacob were lovers?

Angie tells her not to say anymore.  They all know that she and Jacob had
a "thing," but that was a long, long time ago.  Lorraine thinks that
someone can't forget.  Lorraine is crying.  She wants them to be honest
with her.  Is that all this is?  Is Angie jealous of her?  Jealous?
Lorraine tells her not to blame her that she can carry a baby and Angie
can't.  Nick says that's enough.  Angie says that she thinks Lorraine
has said what she came there to say and she won't let her take out her
frustrations on her and Jacob like this.  Angie knows that Lorraine has
had some tough breaks, but Angie is not responsible.  It's not her fault.
She is responsible for her own life, which seems at the present to be
more than she can handle.  Angie can't understand how Lorraine can
possibly think that she can handle the responsibility of having this
baby.  And Lorraine stands there and talks to them as if they owe her
this chance?, Angie yells.  The only chance that they owe each other is
respect.  Does she know what that is?  Respecting each other's positions
and respecting each other's decisions.  It seems that she is in very
short supply of that.  Jacob says that this has gotten really out of hand
and nicely asks Lorraine to leave.  Nick walks out with her, saying he's
sorry to Jacob.  Angie says that was awful.  Jacob agrees.  They hug.
Jacob pulls away and asks if she sees why this surrogate thing isn't
going to work.

In the hallway.  Lorraine is crying.  Nick asks her if she is okay.  She
doesn't know why she said all of those horrible things to them.  It's
like she became someone else.  Nick says it has to stop.  She went into
this thing without even talking to him first and when Angie and Jacob
tried to let her down easy, she backed them into a corner.  She knows.
All she wanted was a little appreciation.  Nick is sure they appreciate
the offer.  She offered them her body, she offered that child a home, a
place to grow, and they turned her down flat over one slip.  They are
acting like she's worthless.  Now, she's alienated her friends.  What is
she going to do?  She hasn't alienated Nick.  He's still right there.
He's not going anywhere.  They'll just make their apologies to Angie and
Jacob and everything will be alright.  Yeah.  Nick wants to know why it
is so important for her to carry this child.  It just seems right.  She
says it's empty inside and she knows it's God's will.  They hug.

Have a good week everyone.
Lisa Marie

