The hallway outside of Adam’s hospital room.
Stuart sits waiting.
Liza rushes in.
Liza: Stuart!
Stuart: Hi, Liza.
Liza: What are you doing out here? Don’t you want to visit with Adam?
Stuart: Oh, he’s not in there.
Liza: He’s not?
Stuart: No.
Liza: Where is he?
Stuart: He’s with Dr. Tolan. You’re supposed to be there too.
Liza: Oh my goodness. Already? I’d better get going.
Liza starts to rush off.
Stuart: Liza?
Liza turns back around.
Liza: Yeah?
Stuart: I just saw your t.v. show.
Liza: I’m sorry, Stuart, I had to do it. I feel very badly about it.
Stuart: I thought it was great. But I was wondering...
Liza: Why didn’t I use you?
Stuart: Yeah.
Liza: Well, Stuart, I thought about it.
Stuart: So...
Liza: Stuart, I know Adam.
Stuart: I know you do.
Liza: I know the Adam of today, the Adam of last year, and the Adam of two years ago. All of them -- and believe me, that’s a lot.
Stuart: It sure is.
Liza: The man is brilliant, overwhelming, smart and tender. And then there’s the other side. The control freak. He is going to be furious when he finds out that something was wrong with his business and I did all of the talking for him. And now let’s add you to the equation. Sweet Stuart and conniving Liza. As unforgivable as it was for me to take one of Adam’s most private moments and parade it before the world, it would have been even worse if I had used you. And that’s how Adam would have seen it. So I’m protecting you from Adam’s wrath, but I’m also protecting myself. Can you understand that, Stuart?
Stuart: I guess so. But I would’ve helped you.
Liza: I know you would have. Stuart? Who’s with Colby?
Stuart: Your mother.
Liza: Oh. Well, I’d better get going. We’ll be back in a while.
Stuart: Okay.
Liza: Bye.
Stuart: Bye.
Liza leaves.
******
Dr. Tolan’s office
Adam sits across from Dr. Tolan. Dr. Tolan is making notes in a notebook.
Dr. Tolan: I understand you lost both of your parents at an early age. That must have been very hard. How did you feel about that?
Adam: How did I feel about that? Years of medical school, tons of bucks, and that’s the best you can do? How did I feel about that? I’m in the wrong business.
Dr. Tolan: Let’s try something different, shall we?
Adam: Oh, Dr. Tolan, we shall see.
Dr. Tolan: What’s the last memory you have of recent events?
Liza bursts into the room.
Liza: Sorry I’m late.
Adam: Oh, this day just gets better and better.
Dr. Tolan: Adam? What do you mean when you say that?
Adam: I mean that I’m stuck in a room with a self-help tape, and then Medusa walks in.
Liza takes a seat close to Dr. Tolan.
Dr. Tolan: You seem to have a lot of hostility towards Liza. Why is that, Adam?
Adam: Liza? Do you care to explain?
Dr. Tolan: I’m asking you, Adam.
Adam: I’m just trying to give the lady a fair shake -- let her beat me to the punch, so to speak.
Dr. Tolan: I often find that when relationships are in trouble, it helps to go back to the beginning. When did you find yourselves getting romantically involved? How did you two get together?
Adam and Liza are both silent.
Dr. Tolan: You must have felt something for each other in order to get married.
Adam and Liza look away from each other.
Dr. Tolan: Liza?
Liza: Who me?
Dr. Tolan: Yes. Why did you marry Adam in the first place?
Liza: I really don’t think this is necessary, Dr. Tolan.
Dr. Tolan: Liza, do you love Adam?
Liza: Yes.
Adam: Ha!
Liza turns to Adam.
Liza: I do!
Adam: “I do.” Two words I never expect to issue forth out of your mouth, and yet there they are again.
Liza: You know, you are so full of it.
Adam: Me? Coming from you, I take that as a compliment. You’re the mistress of Bull.
Liza: Well, that would make me your bedmate, wouldn’t it?
Adam: In your dreams!
Liza turns to Dr. Tolan.
Liza: Would you excuse us for a moment?
Dr. Tolan: This is exactly what therapy is for, Liza. You’re here to discuss things in front of an unbiased party.
Adam: Well, take your party elsewhere. We don’t need you.
Liza: This is really just between the two of us, Dr. Tolan.
Dr. Tolan: Liza, I’m surprised at you. I’m here to help Adam. These sessions are supposed to give him a basis for recovery. I thought you understood that.
Adam: Don’t you talk down to her. She’s not a child.
Dr. Tolan: That’s an interesting point, Adam. Why don’t we discuss the age difference between Liza and you?
Liza: What’s that supposed to mean?
Adam: What are you insinuating?
Dr. Tolan: Both of you seem very threatened by my questions.
Liza: That’s ridiculous.
Adam: Preposterous!
Dr. Tolan makes some notes.
Adam: What are you writing?
Liza tries to take a peek at Dr. Tolan’s notes. Dr. Tolan shuts the notebook.
Dr. Tolan: I think we’re done for the day.
Adam: I think we’re done, period.
Dr. Tolan: Adam?
Adam: Dr. Tolan?
Dr. Tolan: What did you mean by that?
Adam: Finally! A question I can answer! What I mean is that you are a quack. The sound a duck makes when it feeds upon the scraps from the table. A bleat in the cacophony of civilization. We...
Adam gets up and goes to the door.
Adam: ...are done.
Adam leaves.
Liza follows.
Dr. Tolan looks after them, gaping.
******
The hallway outside of Adam’s hospital room.
Adam strides down the hallway. Stuart gets up to greet him.
Adam goes into his room.
Liza strides down the hallway. Stuart goes to greet her.
Liza goes into the room.
Stuart shrugs his shoulders.
******
Adam’s hospital room
Adam storms around. Liza stands watching.
Liza: I’m sorry. That was a huge mistake.
Adam: You’re telling me!
Liza: Well, we have to figure out something.
Adam: We?
Liza: Oh, stop it, Adam. I’m not the enemy here.
Adam: Now that you mention it, since we’re on the subject of quacking: if it looks like a duck...
Liza: Oh, so now I’m a duck?
Adam: You said it -- not me.
Stuart peeks his head in.
Stuart: Liza?
Adam and Liza: What?
Stuart: I need to see you out here.
Liza looks at Adam.
Liza: Excuse me.
Liza and Stuart leave the room.
******
The hallway outside of Adam’s hospital room.
Barry waits.
Liza and Stuart come out.
Barry: Liza, good to see you. It sounds like Adam is in fighting form.
Liza looks at Stuart.
Liza: You brought me out here for this?
Stuart: He said it was important.
Barry: It is.
Liza takes a breath.
Liza: Stuart, would you go back in the room? I don’t think Adam should be alone right now.
Stuart nods and goes back in the room.
Liza: Barry, I really don’t think it’s a good idea for Adam to see us together. He’s going to go into conspiracy theory mode.
Barry: You may be right. Let’s go somewhere and talk.
Barry and Liza wander down the hall.
******
Adam’s hospital room.
Adam is sitting on his bed.
Stuart is standing near the door and the nurse is at her desk.
Adam: Stuart?
Stuart: Yeah?
Adam: Would you mind going down to the cafeteria and getting me some hot cocoa?
Stuart: Hot cocoa?
Adam: Yes. I need something to settle me down.
Stuart: But Liza said --
Adam: Damn and blast that woman! Who cares what she said? I want hot cocoa. Are you going to get it for me, or do I have to go get it myself?
Stuart: No, no! Don’t get up. I’ll go get it for you.
Adam: Thank you.
Stuart leaves the room.
Adam eyes the nurse.
Adam: You over there.
Nurse: Yes?
Adam: Is my doctor still here?
Nurse: Dr. Jensen?
Adam: You would know best. No one keeps me informed of anything.
Nurse: I think he’s still here.
Adam: Good. Would you go get him? I have some questions for him.
Nurse: Maybe I could answer them.
Adam: I don’t think so. They’re very involved questions.
Nurse: I’ll go see if I can find him.
Adam: You go do that.
The nurse gets up and leaves.
******
Five minutes later. The hallway outside of Adam’s hospital room.
Liza comes back down the hallway alone.
She enters Adam’s room.
******
Adam’s hospital room.
The room is empty.
Liza enters.
Liza looks around, puzzled.
Suddenly, she gets a stricken look on her face.
She goes to the closet. Empty.
The nurse comes back in with Dr. Jensen.
Liza: Where’s my husband?
Nurse: He was here a moment ago. He asked me to get Dr. Jensen.
Liza: Where’s his brother?
Nurse: Well, Mr. Chandler -- Adam, that is -- said he wanted hot cocoa.
Liza: And no one has seen him since? Typical Adam Chandler!
She runs out of the room.
After a moment, Stuart enters the room with a steaming cup.
He looks around.
Stuart: Where’s Adam? I have his hot cocoa.
The nurse and Dr. Jensen stare at Stuart.