THE PARK/DAY

Not knowing what to do with their free time, ALLI and SEAN roamed around Bay City, careful to stay out of sight. Having nothing better to do, they hightailed it back to the park.

Sean wipes his hands on a paper napkin. Fast food wrappers surround Alli and him.

SEAN
Gotta love greasy hamburgers.

Sean gives an almost pained sigh.

SEAN
We'd better bolt soon.

ALLI
Well, at least you know what you ate. Wonder what fine nutritious slop was served in the cafeteria today?

Sean gives a little wicked laugh.

SEAN
I'd have the health inspector check before I eat it.

Alli smiles lamely. Suddenly, Sean notices Alli hasn't touched her burger.

SEAN
There are starving people who'd kill for that burger.

Alli looks puzzled. Following Sean's gaze, she stares blankly at her uneaten food.

ALLI
Huh? Oh. Oh, yeah. You still hungry?

Sean takes Alli's burger and wraps it in a wrapper. Spying a trash can, he throws the food like a basketball and it sails in. Sean makes wild cheering noises, but stops when he notices that Alli is still miles away. He tries to bring her out of her mood.

SEAN
I'll be the next Michael Jordan. You know that, right?

Alli looks through Sean, as if she hasn't heard him.

SEAN
All right, spill it.

Alli suddenly jerks out of her thoughts.

ALLI
Sorry, did you say something?

Sean is worried and a little exasperated.

SEAN
Oh, only for the past ten minutes. The trees made for a great audience. Am I that boring? Or...?

Sean gets a somewhat annoyed look on his face and turns to Alli, who waits for Sean to finish his thoughts as her hand moves in a "come on" motion.

ALLI
Or...?

SEAN
You're not still mad about not getting the pot, are you? I told you, we'll get some. Just not now.

Alli waves Sean's theory away and bends her knees on the bench so that she is resting her head.

ALLI
Relax. I'm not mad and you're not boring. I'm sorry, okay?

SEAN
Then why the zoning out?

ALLI
I just...it's just...I don't wanna go home, okay?

SEAN
Look, I know what's going on sucks right now, but I *really* don't wanna get caught and have another family lecture courtesy of Jake and Vicky.

ALLI
At least they notice you.

SEAN
Sure, in between baseball practice and cub scouts. It'll be okay for you, Alli. Just give it some time.

ALLI
That's all I've been doing is waiting.

Alli stands up and walks over to a nearby tree and hangs her head.

ALLI (cont'd)
I'm tired of waiting. I want my mother back.

Sean also stands and walks over to Alli, placing a hand on her shoulder.

SEAN
It sucks when nobody listens. I know. But hey...

Sean crooks a finger under Alli's chin and she faces him.

SEAN (cont'd)
You still got me to complain to.

Alli gives Sean a grin. She teases him.

ALLI
And today was a good example. You're a pretty cool guy, Sean McKinnon.

SEAN
Well, it's about time you noticed!

Sean and Alli simply smile at each other in understanding. Sean motions toward the other wrappers near the bench.

SEAN
Um, we'd better clean up and fly home before the folks if we don't want to end up in our own little version of San Quentin for the next month.

Alli groans but gives a laugh afterwards.

ALLI
Well, Mom and my grandmother aren't around now, so I'm probably cool. Far be it for me to leave you hanging, though. So...what are we waiting for?

Alli and Sean walk to the bench and clean up.

CUT TO:

CAFE/DAY

TITO and KC find an unoccupied table and sit across from each other, coffees and bags of textbooks in hand. They drop the bags on the floor beside their seats and after a bit of an awkward silence, Tito speaks first.

TITO
Coffee's good.

KC
Yeah. I definitely needed a jolt. Caffeine is a quick way to get it.

Tito nods as he watches KC absently circle the rim of her cup with a finger.

TITO
I guess. So...you really wanna be a big-shot reporter...maybe get on TV someday?

KC smiles. Giving a shrug, she answers the question.

KC
Well, I don't know if I'll ever be *that* good, but---

TITO
---I do. Harvard, remember?

At KC's embarrassed smile, Tito smiles, too.

TITO
Besides, you have a great smile.

KC takes a sip of coffee. After mumbling thank you, she tries to take the initiative.

KC
Well, right now, I'm focusing mainly on newspaper reporting. Besides, I'd be scared to death if I ever messed up on TV. Less pressure with writing.

KC pauses. Tito sips his coffee leisurely, actually relaxing and enjoying himself. He notices KC staring at him, as if she wants to say something, but is too shy to do so.

TITO
Do I have coffee running down my face?

KC
No. I apologize. I don't mean to stare but...

TITO
But...

KC
I guess I was just wondering...well, after you...

KC is flustered at being so tongue-tied again in Tito's presence. She determinedly tries again.

KC
What made you decide to stay in Bay City, anyway? I'd think that after you...well, everything with Grant Harrison, you'd want a fresh start someplace else.

Tito looks like he sincerely is pondering the question. He tries not to think of Remy and yet struggles to try and be a little honest.

TITO
I don't know. I...like Bay City. I know I hurt people and I'm trying to fix things as best as I can. It's not easy when everyone hates me, but I just want to prove to them...

KC nods, understanding what Tito says.

KC
Well...I don't hate you.

Tito raises an eyebrow.

TITO
But there's Grant...and other stuff...

KC
I'm not saying that you haven't made some big mistakes, Tito. But you're trying to move on and learn from them. I admire that.

Tito is basking in KC's praise but tries to play it cool.

TITO
Thanks. That...that helps. So...are you really doin' okay?

KC drinks more coffee before she answers, putting everything in perspective.

KC
I'm coping. Not sure if that's the same as "being okay", but I'm just going day by day. I'll survive, though. Toni would expect nothing less and Mama, too.

Tito picks up his half-empty cup and proposes a toast.

TITO
To a couple of survivors. Long may we reign.

KC taps his cup with hers and echoes the toast.

KC
To survivors.

KC and Tito stare at one another and smile.

CUT TO:

BCUH-JOHN'S OFFICE/SAME DAY

JOHN hands MORGAN a cup of coffee from the small table near his desk. Morgan accepts it gratefully.

MORGAN
I haven't really talked to anyone about her, not even Cass. Lorna knows what happened, but she was there the whole time. After we broke up, there just didn't seem like any point in telling anybody.

JOHN
I guess not. But it also helps your own emotions sometimes if you talk about it.

MORGAN
You're right.

JOHN
So when did it start? The relationship, I mean.

MORGAN
About a year ago. Andrea--that's her name--she's a staff accountant at Cedars. We met at some hospital function. We went out a couple of times and suddenly, we became a couple. I fell hard for her. I told her about Courtney one night.

JOHN
How did she react?

MORGAN
She told me that if I didn't feel ready for another relationship, she was willing to take it slow and to wait for me. That was the first night we ever made love.

JOHN
What happened?

MORGAN
Everything happened pretty fast after that. We had long-term plans, we talked about marriage, children...we talked about everything so seriously and I thought we'd end up being together.

JOHN
Why didn't you?

MORGAN
She got pregnant. And for the first month of the pregnancy, I thought we were going to have this fairy tale life. But in her third month, she miscarried.

Morgan stops, seeming almost on the verge of tears.

JOHN
Morgan, I'm sorry...

MORGAN
No, it's okay. It was hard to deal with at the time, but I've accepted it. Andrea couldn't. After the miscarriage, we fell apart. She couldn't stand being around me because it reminded her of what she'd lost. She didn't want me to comfort her, she didn't want to talk about trying again after we were married. She just wanted to be away from me.

JOHN
I can see why you'd want to get away from Cedars.

MORGAN
Yeah. So, anyway....I'd love to stay and chit-chat a little longer, but I'm going to head out of here. Are you going to Joe and Paulina's housewarming party tonight?

JOHN
(grinning)
I'll be there.

They stand, shaking hands.

JOHN (cont'd)
And you'll start when? Next week? Monday?

MORGAN
That sounds great. I'll see you tonight.

Morgan leaves the room, and John sits down again, bending over his paperwork.

CUT TO:

BCUH--DR. DOYLE'S OFFICE/DAY

HAYLEY is on an exam table, wearing an exam gown, a blanket covering her from the waist down. She taps her hands nervously over her stomach. LORNA grabs them.

LORNA
Hay. Calm down, would you? You're making ME nervous, kiddo.

HAYLEY
Sorry. This is just really a weird thing. I'm glad I rescheduled my sonogram appointment so you could be here.

LORNA
(smiling)
I'm glad to be here. I'm glad that you wanted me here.

HAYLEY
Do you feel like this is all a dream? Not this--- (She waves her hand around the room)---but me? Because I feel like it's a dream. Suddenly, I have an older sister who's not only HAPPY to have me in her life, but who's willing to suffer through my troubles with me?

LORNA
I'm not suffering. I know we started off on a weird foot, but the fact remains that you ARE my sister, Hayley. And whatever happened for that to be, whatever moons moved left of Jupiter---

Hayley laughs at the description.

LORNA (cont'd)
---I'm grateful for that.

HAYLEY
So am I. Although you've had practice at being someone's sister. I'm all new to this.

LORNA
It'll come to you. Just keep practicing. (She grins)

The door to the exam room opens and DR. AMY DOYLE enters the room. She smiles at them.

DR. DOYLE
Hi, you two. Ready for your sonogram, Hayley?

HAYLEY
(nodding)
I guess so. It's not going to hurt, is it?

DR. DOYLE
(with a smile)
No, not at all. This will let you see your baby, but it won't hurt.

She pulls the exam gown up to expose Hayley's belly, and begins to rub the gel onto it.

HAYLEY
Okay...that's cold.

Lorna and Dr. Doyle both laugh.

DR. DOYLE
It's only going to be cold for a few minutes. What I'm going to do is take this wand and move it across your stomach. The pulses will allow us to see the baby on the screen.

HAYLEY
This can't hurt the baby, can it?

DR. DOYLE
No. And if you look at the screen, you'll get your first glimpse at your baby.

Hayley turns towards the screen and her eyes widen in awe. She falls silent as she watches the baby move on the screen.

LORNA
(in a whisper)
Look at that...that's your baby, Hayley.

DR. DOYLE
(moving the wand on Hayley's stomach)
There's an arm...and there's a leg. And there's your baby's heart. It's beating very strong.

She points on the screen.

HAYLEY
Wow....

Tears begin to form in her eyes as she watches the baby. She grips Lorna's hand tightly.

DR. DOYLE
Do you want to know the sex of the baby?

HAYLEY
You can tell that?

DR. DOYLE
Yes. Sometimes the baby is in the wrong position, but I can tell what sex your baby is.

Hayley looks at Lorna.

HAYLEY
I don't know if I should know...

LORNA
(gently)
I think it'll be easier if you don't, sweetie.

HAYLEY
(turning back to Dr. Doyle, trying to hold back her tears)
I don't want to know.

DR. DOYLE
Okay. (She turns off the machine and proceeds to wipe Hayley's stomach off with a towel.) I'm going to give you a few pictures from the sonogram to keep. That way, you can share them with whoever you'd like.

HAYLEY
Okay.

DR. DOYLE
I'll let you get dressed, and then you're done, Hayley. I'll see you in a couple of weeks?

HAYLEY
Yeah. Thanks, Dr. Doyle.

Dr. Doyle leaves the room, and Hayley looks at Lorna, tears beginning to fall freely from her eyes.

LORNA
I know, Hay.

She reaches out and hugs Hayley, who sobs into her shoulder, quietly.

FADE OUT