LUCKY LADY/SAME NIGHT

ETTA MAE is seated at a table, her head in her hands, KC holding her arm, her head resting on her mother's shoulder. CHRIS and TYRONE are silent, watching them, their own face masks of pain.

ETTA MAE
I just can't believe she's gone. I can't believe God would take my little girl away from me.

CHRIS
It wasn't God, Etta Mae...it was some sick bastard who will pay...they will NOT get away with this.

KC
(through her tears)
But why Toni? Why my sister? She never did anything to hurt ANYONE. I don't understand!

Chris reaches across the table and holds her hand.

CHRIS
I don't think we'll understand, KC. Not until we know who did this.

TYRONE
Etta Mae, do you need me to call the others?

ETTA MAE
Oh, God...Judy needs to know. And the boys...

KC
I'll call them, Mama. I want to talk to to Judy. (She stands up). I'm going to call them now. (She leaves the room, and the others can hear her breaking sobs as she goes into the back)

ETTA MAE
My poor baby...she and her sister were close, although they fought like cats and dogs sometimes. This is going to be so hard for her...for all of us.

TYRONE
Etta Mae, anything you need, anything at all, I'm here for you. I'll do anything you need me to do, okay?

ETTA MAE
Thank you, Tyrone. You're a part of the family, you know that.

TYRONE
I know that I love all of you like my family. (He stands and kisses Etta Mae's cheek) I'll go see if KC is okay.

He walks into the kitchen and Etta Mae looks at Chris.

ETTA MAE
(quietly)
You made her happier than anyone I've ever seen, Chris. I hope you know that.

CHRIS
I don't know how I'm going to go on without her, Etta Mae.

ETTA MAE
You will. It's going to be the most difficult thing you've ever done in your life, but you will. Because she'd want you to go on.

She stands up and walks over to Chris. He stands and they hug, both silent in their grief.

FADE OUT

BCUH/NIGHT

JOSIE is standing in the hospital waiting room, a cup of coffee in her hands. GARY walks into the room quietly, goes behind her, and puts his arms around her shoulders.

GARY
Rough night?

Josie turns around to face him, and sets the coffee on a table. She reaches out and puts her arms around his neck.

GARY
(disentangling her arms and holding her hands)
Hey...what's wrong?

JOSIE
Oh, Gary...I didn't want to have to be the one...I didn't want to do this...

GARY
Honey, what's wrong? You're starting to scare me.

JOSIE
It's Cameron, Gary. Cameron and Toni.

GARY
(puzzled)
What about them?

JOSIE
They were at Cory, investigating something for Carl. And someone had planted a bomb there...it went off when Cameron and Toni were in the office. They were both killed, Gary. Cameron and Toni were killed.

Gary stares at her for a minute, then walks away from her.

GARY
No, J...there's got to be a mistake. It can't be Cameron.

JOSIE
(walking over and putting her hand on his arm)
I'm so sorry, Gary...I'm so sorry, sweetie, he's gone.

GARY
No...not Cameron. We just started being brothers again...I can't let him go now.

JOSIE
He loved you, Gary...he loved you so much. (She holds Gary in her arms, and he holds her arms as he rests his head on them.) Don't ever forget that.

GARY
(in tears)
We worked through all of these problems, all of these angers, just to have him taken away? Why?

JOSIE
I don't know. I really don't, Gary. But I'm here for you, honey...I'm not going anywhere.

Josie holds him as he sobs in her arms.

FADE OUT

BCUH/AMANDA'S HOSPITAL ROOM

AMANDA is laying in her hospital bed, ALLI next to her, holding her hand. She smiles at Amanda as she opens her eyes.

ALLI
You're awake.

AMANDA
I'm awake...(she looks around with confusion)...where am I? The hospital?

ALLI
There was a fire, Mom...at Cory, you were caught in it, remember?

AMANDA
(remembering)
Oh, my God...the fire...Cameron...and Vicky...are they okay?

ALLI
(slowly)
Vicky's in the hospital, too...she's hurt pretty badly, but they said if you hadn't been there...she would have lost the babies.

AMANDA
And Cameron?

Alli doesn't answer her, instead looking to the door helplessly. Almost as if on cue, CARL and RACHEL walk in. Rachel breathes a loud sigh of relief at seeing Amanda awake.

RACHEL
(going to Amanda and hugging her)
We were so worried about you.

AMANDA
(breaking off the hug)
Mom...where's Cameron? Is he all right?

Rachel sits next to Amanda on the bed, Alli moving away and going over to Carl, who puts his arm around her.

RACHEL
Sweetheart....they tried. They tried to get Cameron out of the office, but it was too late. I'm sorry, baby.

AMANDA
(struggling to understand what Rachel is telling her)
They're still trying...they're still working on getting him out, right? They had to put out the fire and they're getting him now.

RACHEL
(gently)
No, Amanda. They couldn't get him out. Cameron was killed in the fire, honey.

Amanda begins to throw the covers off to get out of bed, trying to push Rachel aside. Rachel grabs her arms and keeps her in the bed.

AMANDA
Let me go, Mom, I have to go find him! They're wrong, I have to get him out of there!

RACHEL
Sweetie, he's gone...he and Toni were both killed.

Amanda stops fighting her and falls back helplessly onto her pillow. She looks at Carl.

AMANDA
This is YOUR fault, Carl! You sent him there, and it should have been YOU that was killed in that fire!

As she begins to sob in Rachel's arms, Alli huddles against Carl.

CARL
It's all right, love. Your mother is going to be all right. Let's let her and Rachel have some time together.

As Carl and Alli leave the room, we:

FADE OUT

BCUH/NIGHT

JAKE is pacing outside of VICKY'S hospital room. DONNA comes out of the room at the same time that MARLEY rushes into the hallway.

MARLEY
How's Vicky?

JAKE
Unconscious. She was trapped in the fire for awhile, and had some smoke inhalation. She's having a rough time of it.

DONNA
But she's going to be fine...and those little girls are going to be fine.

MARLEY
Can I see her?

JAKE
Yeah....(he stops talking as Dr. Doyle approaches)

DR. DOYLE
Mr. McKinnon, we got your wife's test results back. The babies are okay, no problems right now.

JAKE
What about Vicky?

DR. DOYLE
It's just going to be a touch and go kind of thing right now. She's had a bit of a trauma, and luckily, babies in-uterine are very resilient, more resilient than anyone gives them credit for. Your best bet right now is to do exactly what you've been doing...stay with your wife, talk to her, make sure she knows that you're all here for her.

JAKE
Thank you, Dr. Doyle...you'll be here, right?

DR. DOYLE
I'm not going anywhere, don't worry.

She leaves and Marley turns to Jake.

MARLEY
Let me go in with her, all right? I want to make sure she knows I'm here.

Jake nods, and Marley walks into Vicky's room. She seats herself in the chair next to Vicky's bed.

MARLEY
Okay, Vick, if this is your way of trying to guilt me into babysitting for you, all you had to do was ask. (She laughs uneasily.) Come on, though...you've got to wake up...I'm not letting you go like this. I can feel you fighting, I know you're fighting. Just fight a little harder, okay? Think about all we've got to teach those little girls of yours.

She sits, holding Vicky's hand, as we:

FADE OUT