ANOTHER WORLD 210

Michele doesn’t like what she overhears

Written by:  C. Nathaniel Richardson

Consultants:  ML Cooks and A. Washington Beeby

Paul Michael Valley makes an appearance as Ryan Harrison…

 

PART 1

STACEY’S APARTMENT

Lindsay is lying down on the couch dressed in her blue pajamas and Stacey walks into the living room.

Stacey:  Look Lindsay you can’t lie around and be depressed about this forever.

Lindsay:  Oh you’re a shrink now.  I guess you’re gonna ask me how it makes me feel?

Stacey:  Sarcasm isn’t gonna help you right now.

Lindsay:  You wanna know how it makes me feel don’t you?  Do you wanna how a hysterectomy makes me feel?  I’m nothing.  I feel...empty.  I’m never gonna have a child!  I feel worthless.

Stacey:  If that’s your attitude then that’s what’s gonna happen.  There are other ways you can have children.

Lindsay:  Oh wait, you’re gonna tell me I can adopt.  You know what’ll happen?   I’ll attach myself to the child until the birth mother decides she wants to come and take custody, and I will have no choice but to give the child back to its natural mother.  You see, natural mothers have more power; biological mothers hold all the cards.  I will never be anyone’s biological mother.

Stacey:  And how long are you gonna down about it?  How long are you gonna sit here and feel sorry for yourself?  You’re better than that Lindsay.  You’re stronger than that!

Lindsay:  You’re really something aren’t you?  You’re gonna tell me how I should feel?

Stacey:  Of course not honey.  I want you to get through this, but moping around, having a pity party, that’s not you.  That’s someone else, and whoever that person is has taken my daughter, and I’m gonna get the real you back, no matter what I have to do.

Lindsay:  You want me back mom?  How about you and Gregory stop treating me like a delicate, porcelain trinket?  

Stacey:  We can help you if you let us.  

Stacey’s eyes well up.

Stacey:  I love you so much.

Stacey leaves out the front door.  Outside she leans her back on the wall next to the door, and looks up at the ceiling.

Stacey:  My God what am I gonna do?

Michael walks up.

Michael:  You alright?

Stacey runs up and hugs Michael.

Stacey:  No.  Not at all.

Michael:  Worried about your daughter huh?

Stacey:  Yeah...very.

Michael:  Are you headed out?

Stacey:  Yeah I’m..I was headed to the office.

Michael:  Why don’t we...go somewhere?  To the Center maybe?

Stacey: Yeah...I have a few minutes.  Sure.

As they walk away slowly.

Michael:  Guess we’re both worried huh?

Stacey:  You must be worried about...Lindsay’s sisters.

Michael:  Yep, Bridget and Michele.  

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AT THE MCKINNONS

Vicky and Michele are in the living room.

Michele:  And I’ve been thinking a lot about it and...it’s time for me to go tell Bridget that I forgive her, and for us to be sisters again.

Vicky:  Honey, that is the best news I’ve heard all day.  So proud of you.

Vicky hugs Michele.

Michele:  Thanks mom.

Vicky:  Can I ask you a question?

Michele:  Sure.

Vicky:  Did you...cut yourself with those scissors in the hospital?

Michele flashes back.

(EPISODE 191)

Michele turns around, and walks to the counter slowly. She secretly grabs a pair of gauze scissors and starts digging them into her left arm until she draws blood.

Michele flashes back to the present.

Michele:  That’s...that’s not important.

Vicky:  So Bridget did attack you?

Michele:  Whatever Bridget did, I forgive her.

Vicky:  I always knew that you would do the right thing.  You always did.  That’s my girl.  If you were angry at Bridget, I knew you would eventually would try to resolve your differences.

Michele: And I’m gonna head over to the Love Mansion to let her know.

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LOVE MANSION

Donna walks to the foyer and sees Bridget and Cory coming downstairs.

Donna:  Cory?  Bridget?  

Cory:  Hi Donna.

Donna:  Cory what were you doing upstairs?

Cory looks at Bridget who is a step behind him.

Donna:  You two...in my house?

Cory:  I can explain…

Bridget:  Explain what Cory?  My grandmother seems to have figured out what happened.  We slept together.

Donna:  Cory can you let Bridget and I talk please?

Cory:  I’m gonna...head home.  

Bridget:  I’ll call you.

They kiss and Donna turns her attention to Bridget.

Bridget:  Where’s grandpa?

Donna:  He went out.  

Bridget:  Well I’m gonna go see dad.

Donna:  Not now you’re not.  In the living room...now!  You’re reminding me of your mother.

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Vicky is curled up on the living room couch and her arms folded.  She looks at the divorce papers on the coffee table, and has a flashback…

(EPISODE 207)

Jake:  Vicky you need to face the truth.  Ever since Michele’s accident we haven’t been the same since.

Vicky:  We got past that.

Jake:  Then you knew about Lindsay being my daughter and you didn’t tell me.

Vicky:  I was trying to protect our family!

Jake:  But you didn’t did you?  I don’t trust you Vicky.  Ever since you kept the truth about Lindsay from me, I have a hard time trusting you.

Vicky flashes back to the present, and uncurls herself from the couch and sits up and sighs.

Vicky:  What am I gonna do?

Suddenly, someone gently places his hand on her right shoulder, and she touches it, as if the feeling is familiar to her.  She looks up...

Vicky:  You?

Vicky sees a smiling Ryan Harrison, dressed in street clothes.

CAMERA PAN ON RYAN...SLOW FADE TO THEME SONG

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PART 2

AT THE CENTER...Michael and Stacey are sitting at a table across from each other.

Stacey:  I don’t know what else to do Michael.  I hate seeing her like this.  

Michael:  It’s getting to you isn’t it?

Stacey:  I’m used to seeing her alive; on the go; determined.  I mean she came to Bay City all on her own to find Jake.  This person that I’ve been seeing the last few days...that’s not my daughter.  You know?

Michael:  I know.  

Stacey:  I just wanna reach inside and take what’s bothering her out, so she can be herself again.

Michael:  Unfortunately there’s not much we can do about that.  We see our children going down a road that’s gonna lead them to hurt.  We do what we can do stop them, and we can’t.  Donna told me about Vicky and Shane Roberts all those years ago.

Stacey:  I heard about that.

Michael:  My twin brother got killed an accident trying to stop her from sleeping with him.  I wasn’t there but I can identify with that feeling.  

Stacey:  Parental instinct I guess.

They both chuckle.

Stacey:  Well I’m glad you decided to come see me.

Michael:  I needed a friend.  I mean...we’re still friends after all these years right?

Stacey:  You’re really worried your twin granddaughters huh?

Michael:  Yeah I didn’t wanna tell Donna.  She’s worried to the twentieth power, and if I show her that I’m worried I don’t think it would help.

Stacey:  Well you know Donna better than anyone.  

Michael:  I should.  I married her four times right?

Stacey:  Right?  Well I gotta...get to the office.

Michael places his hand on Stacey’s.

Michael:  If you...need anything I’m here for you.  Okay?

She slips her hand from under his.

Stacey:  Sure.  Thank you.  I’ll keep that in mind.  So where are you headed now?

Michael:  Home.

She smiles, steps away, and places a call on her cell phone.

Stacey:  Can you come to my office?  I need to talk to you.

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Donna and Bridget are sitting on the living room couch.

Bridget:  Are you gonna give me the talk?  Because I heard it from mom and dad already.

Donna:  You watch your attitude young lady!  I just hope you and Cory were responsible, and used protection.

Bridget:  Why wouldn’t have we used a condom?

Donna:  I don’t know Bridget.  You tell me.

Bridget:  Really?  You think I’m gonna do what mom did when she slept with Jake and Jamie Frame.  She didn’t know who Steven’s father was, and then a few years later she slept with Ryan and Grant, and again she didn’t know who Kirkland’s father was.

Donna:  That’s not what I meant…

Bridget:  Come on Grandma Donna, of course it’s what you mean.   You think I’m gonna end up like mom.  I guarantee you I won’t be needing any DNA tests.

Donna:  So you did use protection?

Bridget:  Yes.  We used a condom.

Donna:  Thank God.  I’m relieved that you and Cory were responsible.  And you’re right...I don’t want you to be in the same situation that your mother was in.

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Vicky and Ryan are hugging and she straddles his face.

Vicky:  You look…

Ryan:  Older?

Vicky:  I thought you guys don’t age up there.

Ryan:  This is how I’d look if I was still on earth.

Vicky:  You...came at the perfect time.  You’re gonna tell me how to put my family back together.

Ryan:  Come on Vick, you know I can’t tell you what to do.

Vicky:  Why not?  Haven’t you learned anything from your boss in twenty years?

Ryan:  Oh there she is.  Same ole Vicky I knew and loved.

Vicky:  You and I should have gotten married and had a family.  You were the man I loved.

Ryan:  So you regret the family and the life you built with Jake?

Vicky:  No...no that’s not what I’m saying at all.  It’s like our...plans got cut short by Grant.  I mean he spent years trying to get sole custody of Kirkland.

Ryan:  I know what my brother did.  You and I weren’t meant to be Vicky, but you and Jake were.  You two have a great family.

Vicky:  We don’t have anything anymore.  He wants a divorce.

Ryan:  I know.