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Moral
Date: 02 May 1998 20:44:53 -0400
From: pitman@anotherwayout.com (Kent M Pitman)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.tv.soaps.cbs
Subject: Y&R: AWO#96: "Pick Nick"
Message-ID: <sfwwwc4xjwa.fsf@world.std.com>
INSIDE... * Will Phillip stop being a basket case about Trisha?
* Will a trip to the cooler improve Nick's view of his wife?
* Can Michael convince Cricket her fears are far afield?
* Will Mary's wishes for Danny be taken as pot luck?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
ANOTHER WAY OUT, Episode 96, 02-May-98 by Kent Pitman (kmp@harlequin.com)
"Pick Nick"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jack is in Nick's office. "Jack," Nick says, "before you go--I need to ask
you something." "What's up?" "Jack, I need some time away..." Jack says,
"Of course--to be with your mother--I don't know why I didn't think of it
myself." "No, Jack, it's not that--it's Sharon. I need to get away from her
for a while." "Away? Nick, are you sure?" Nick cuts him off. "Jack--I'm
sure, ok?" "Well, all right, I'll see what I can come up with." Jack turns
to leave. "Jack," Nick says. Jack turns to him. "Thanks."
Trisha is trying on a very sexy lace teddy that she's gotten from a catalog
store when she hears keys in the door and rushes to open it. "Surprise!" she
says. Phillip looks up at her, his eyes wide. Trisha says, "Oh, Phillip.
I was expecting Ryan." Phillip starts to turn away, but she pulls on his arm
and turns him back around. She leans over and just about spills out of her
outfit. "Phillip, wait," she says. "I didn't mean it to sound like that.
I'm happy to see you. Please don't go away. I REALLY want us to be friends."
Later, Jack is on the phone to Nick. "Nick, I found just the thing. You
remember that guy you went to interview with a while back in Seattle--Mr.
Barrington?" Nick looks a little worried. "Yeah?" "Well, polish up your
resume, Nick. You're going to apply for a job with him." "Oh, a little
undercover work, eh?" Nick asks. "Something like that. Look, I'll fill you
in on the details later--for now, grab your bags and Wally will take you to
Seattle." "Ok, Jack. You can count on me."
Cassie enters Olivia's with a shoebox containing some kidneys. The box itself
is covered with dirt. "I dug them up from our garden," she says helpfully.
Olivia looks surprised. "Your garden?" "Uh, huh. We buried Joshua there."
"Well, sweetie," Olivia explains, "they haven't been kept at the right
temperature and they aren't any good any more." A tear goes down little
Cassie's cheek. "I tried to tell them. They just left him there for days and
no one was saying anything about him," Cassie explains. "I kept saying didn't
he need to be buried or something? And they kept saying, `Don't worry about
it. What's important now is Nikki and whether she gets better.' But I didn't
see why they couldn't do both. So I eventually buried him in the garden, in
shoeboxes. Miguel and Miguel's girlfriend Veronica helped. And then, Miguel
and Veronica and Cindy (that's my doll) and me said nice things about him for
a while. But when we were burying him, we found his organ donor card... I
guess it was just too late... and I shoulda known from the smell. But Miguel
said we could grow kidney beans so I thought when Danny lost his kidneys maybe
we could grow a whole kidney." Olivia sighs and holds the girl. "That was a
very conscientious thing to do, Cassie," she says. "It didn't work this time,
but it was good of you to think of it. Now you should go put this back in
your garden and maybe some day you will have kidney beans, ok?" Cassie starts
to leave with the box and Olivia says, "Oh, and Cassie?" "Yes?" "You seem
like a bright little girl, so I'll give you one extra hint, ok?" "Sure!"
Cassie says excitedly. "It might not hurt to put some kidney bean seeds in
the ground too, if you really want to grow beans. They grow better from
seeds." "Ok," Cassie says happily. And she leaves.
The phone rings in Jack's office. It's Nick. He's at a pay phone in a
building somewhere; the camera angle is tight not to reveal more information.
"Jack, thank God I reached you!" "What's up, Nick?" "Well, that interview
with Barrington? It was a setup." "A setup?" "I told them I'd left Dad again
and was setting out on my own, and they laughed at me again--AND they called
the police." "The police?" "Well, I kinda made a scene the last time I was
here. I beat up a few of them. But Jack, I was mad--what else could I do?"
Unseen by Nick, Jack shakes his head sadly. "Nick, do you know that if
violence were the only option for upset people, you'd be an orphan?" "I'm not
following you, Jack," Nick says. "What does my having to beat someone up have
to do with my father?" Jack sighs and responds. "What does your business
performance have to do with your father?" "I'm a Newman. Newmans always
succeed in business. Wait--are you saying that because I'm a Newman, I can
always succeed in boxing, too? That's good to know, Jack. Next time I won't
back off so easily." Jack is shaking his head but Nick isn't seeing him. He
stops and makes an exasperated look. "Look, we'll talk about the violence
thing when you're back--for now, I need you to focus on the job I sent you
there for. Now, Barrington may just be testing you to see what your
allegiances are, so just hang in there for now. If we don't hear from you in
another 24 hours, we'll send someone to post bail for you, ok?"
Barrington himself enters the area where Nick is on the phone. As is
appropriate to typical Seattle weather, he is dressed in a raincoat and
carrying an umbrella. He listens to Nick saying, "But--but--a whole day?
that's a long time. Can't you send someone sooner?" Barrington interrupts
saying, "Oh, is the rich boy calling home?" "Gotta go," Nick whispers and
hangs up. He says "I was just--" "Spare me," Barrington says. "It was
obvious you weren't talking to a lawyer--one doesn't plead with a lawyer. One
pleads with family. And that's good--because I needed to know you weren't cut
completely off from family, so they can pipe you the information you'll be
needing if you come to work for us." "But, I thought--" Nick stutters. "Yes,
I can see that," says Barrington. "Do less of that. You're not in Genoa City
any more. This is Seattle. And in Seattle, who always gets his way?" Nick
looks puzzled for a moment and then starts to say "Bill G---" but is cut off
by the sound of Barrington snapping his umbrella in half. Barrington says
to him, "Nicholas, that is a VERY tired joke around here and not well
appreciated. So if you want to keep your job, I will remind you that I,
Walter Barrington, am the true ruler here in Seattle. Now do we have an
understanding?" Nick shrugs. "Sure, that's cool," he says.
Jack and Diane are in bed asleep when the phone rings. Diane says to Jack,
"What time is it?" Jack picks up the phone and says into it, "This better be
good." "Jack, it's me," Nicholas says. Jack sits up in bed. "Nick, you're
out of jail!" "How did you know?" "Because they only give you one phone call
while you're in jail." "Right, but this isn't that phone call." "Which is
how I knew you weren't in jail." "Really? Wow. Hey, sometime can you teach
me how you figured that out?" "I'd like to, Nicholas, but I'm honestly not
sure I can. Anyway, what's up with Barrington?" "Well, that's the thing.
Barrington wants this big report on Newman Enterprises--what it's up to, what
its plans for the future are." "Then that's what you should do," Jack tells
him. Nick is unsure. "But they want numbers, ... details,..." Suddenly, in
a rare flash of insight, Nick asks, "Jack, this isn't your way of getting back
at my Dad for what he did to Diane, is it?" Jack laughs quietly and mutters
to himself "If only it were so easy," but then says aloud to Nick, "No, it's
not that. Listen, you just do exactly as I say and Newman Enterprises will be
safe. Now don't give them ANY original memos--those are Newman Enterprises
confidential and it would be unethical for you to pass those along. Just
share your memories, your analysis, your Total Business Savvy." "But--you
don't want me to change anything?" "Trust me pal, if there were something
that needed to be changed to safeguard the company, I'd have already taken
care of it." "I'm not sure if I understand, Jack," Nick says with relief,
"but you can count on me."
The next day, Mary Williams arrives at the hospital with her church friends
Louise, and Pearl following behind her. Louise and Pearl are carrying a large
cooler between them. "Going on a picnic?" Olivia asks, as they burst into her
office. "Actually," Mary Williams announces, "we just got back from the
monthly church luncheon. We asked for Kidney donations and got quite a number
of them." "Kidney donations?" Olivia repeats. "For Danny," Mary says. They
open the cooler to show several recently-removed kidneys. "Pearl here," Mary
says, pointing to the only black woman among the three who have entered, "used
to be a skilled surgeon some decades ago." "I haven't done a lot of surgery
since then," Pearl admits, "but I've tried to keep my fingers limber with the
Ladies knitting circle at the church. And, of course, when Thanksgiving comes
along, I'll often get to advise whoever's carving... But it's true what they
say, about surgery and riding a bike--you just climb on and--well, you can see
here. Fourteen kidneys and a few other things--an appendix and--what was
that other thing--oh, I've never been good at names, but it was just itching
to come out, I could tell that." Olivia raises an eyebrow at the collection.
"So," Pearl says, "shall I scrub up and help or can you take it from here?"
Olivia says, "Uh, I think we can take it from here... but, uh, ... thanks!"
The ladies march out proudly as Olivia gets on the phone and tries to find
someone to help her deal with the unusual shipment.
Phillip and Nina are home, talking. "Mom? Can I go over to Ryan's?" "It's
pretty early in the day, Phillip. He won't be home for hours." "That's ok.
Trisha will be there to let me in. I don't mind waiting." "I'm glad you're
finally getting used to her being there, Phillip. I think it's important for
you not to be afraid to visit your father." "Yeah, I agree. It was stupid of
me before. But I think I'm finally growing up and starting to understand the
adult world much better." "Well," Nina says, "have fun."
Another day and a half passes. Nick arrives back in his house. It's late and
it's dark, and he is stumbling slightly from the champagne he consumed in his
dad's jet on his way back to Genoa City. He peeks in on Noah and is surprised
to see someone sleeping in the bed next to Noah. "Is that you?" he asks
quietly. "Honey?" comes a whispered voice in response. "Shhh, don't want to
wake the house," Nick replies. Then he adds, "I'm sorry I had to go away--and
especially sorry that I didn't ask them to send you along with me... I've
missed you sooo much." The whispered reply is, as expected, "That's ok. I
understand. I'm just glad you're back safely." "Thanks," says Nick. "You're
the only one who does understand me." "Nick?" "Yes." "The last few
months--there's been such tension. Can we go back in time and start over?"
"Start over?" "Yes. I want you to make love to me again... not like you just
got back from a trip, but like--like LAST summer." Nick's voice softens
slightly, as if he is smiling inside. "I remember that time..." "Things were
simpler then weren't they?" "I loved making love to you then!" Nick says
proudly. "That's why I want us to go back--to then." There is quiet for a
moment, and then the sounds of passion rising slowly.
Later into the middle of the same night, Nick slips out of bed and goes
upstairs. When he gets to his and Sharon's bed, it is empty.. He looks
perplexed. He wanders the hall, wondering where his wife has gone. Finally
he peeks into the guest room, where he is surprised to see Grace sleeping.
She looks up at him. "Nick! You're back." "Sorry, I just got up to get a
glass of water and--what are you doing up here?" "I'm staying with Sharon and
Cassie--I don't understand the part about the glass of water. You've been
away for two days looking for water? I thought Jack sent you away on
business." "He did, but I came back and I found you in Noah's room and we--"
"No, not me, Nick. I've been up here all evening." "Then that was--" Grace
nods. "That was your wife, Nick. You slept with your wife." "But, but--it
was an accident, I--" Grace stares at him in disbelief. "Don't give me that
`it was an accident' thing. That lame line may have played well with your
stupider-than-can-be wife last summer, but I don't believe it for a moment.
People don't sleep with each other by accident, Nicholas. They sleep with
each other because secretly they subconsciously want each other--like you and
I did last summer. Only now you don't secretly subconsciously want me any
more, so you just--just--get out!" Nick starts to leave and then peeks back
in. "Grace? You won't tell my wife, will you? I don't want her to know."
Grace says, "Don't want her to know what, Nicholas? That you slept with her?
Or that you secretly subconsciously wanted to?" He pauses for a minute to
think. "The second." "Nicholas, what do you think she's going to think?"
"That I consciously wanted to?" he says, now very unsure of himself. "But
maybe she'll think that secretly subconsciously I didn't want to." "Out!"
Grace says. "Just get out."
Neil comes into the office to find Nick there. Without warning, Nick tosses
something to Neil. "Hey, what's this?" Neil asks. "Kidney beans," Nick
says. "I read in the paper that your sis-in-law was treating Danny Romalotti,
and that he was short some kidneys. So I poked around in the store and look
what I came up with? Looks like these are grown on a vine or something, so
they may not be compatible, but I figured hey--worth a shot, right?" Neil
doesn't know how to respond. "I'll, uh, see that she gets these, Nick.
Thanks." "Hey, don't thank me," Nick says. "Thank my Dad. He's the past
master at finding innovative ways to save people's lives. I guess I'm just a
chip off the old block, if you know what I mean." Neil looks like he's in
pain having to watch this, but tries to retain his composure as he turns to
leave. But on the way out, Neil's mind flashes images of future family
situations involving Victoria--each is initially pleasant, but ultimately
ruined by the entrance of Nick. Neil sighs.
Victor is reading the newspaper while talking to Jack. The paper gives him a
good opportunity not to level eyes with Jack. Suddenly he comes across
something in the pages he's reading and says, "Well, I'll be damned." "What's
that, Victor?" Jack says. "Looks like that intelligence we got about how
Barrington Marketing and Advertising was about to make its move was offbase.
Look at that, it's almost as if they're self-destructing. And their stock is
falling really fast." Just then, Nick walks in, and Jack says, "Victor, I
think you have your son to thank for that." "M'boy?" he says, raising his
eyes to periscope depth to see if th'boy has entered the room. "Huh?" says
Nicholas, not sure what he's walked into. "I was just telling Victor how you
singlehandedly neutralized the threat from Barrington using your innate
business savvy." "Well," Nick says shyly, "Jack masterminded the whole
thing--I just did my part." Jack shakes his head. "Come on, Nicholas, don't
be modest. If there was any brainwork involved, it was all yours. I barely
mentioned the option and you were all over it." "Well," Victor says with a
smile, "I'm prouda you m'boy. You're a great asset to this company. We've
obviously just not been employing you in the right way."
Phyllis calls Michael on the phone. He is preoccupied, but she explains to
him that she's going to be staying at Danny's for a few days. He starts to
say "ok" but then asks, "Why?" "Why?" she repeats. "Because Danny has been
mugged and is in the hospital, so he can't take care of Little Daniel."
"Mugged?" Michael asks, breaking out of his stupor for a moment. "One of his
many fans finally coming to collect after being disappointed by his recent
albums?" Michael muses. "Ha, ha, very funny, Michael. For your information,
Danny is very seriously injured and might die." "Die?" "Yes, die. Apparently
his kidneys are failing and if they can't find a match... well, why am I
telling you--you're the last person who's going to care." She hangs up. When
she does, we go to black and white to flash back to a time in Michael's
childhood when he is told that his brother has been in an accident. They need
one of Michael's kidneys or he may not survive. Little Michael isn't sure,
but before he can answer, he is told his brother has died. We see images of
his mother and father telling him it's `his fault, his fault, his...' Michael
gets up and moves toward the door.
"I can't believe it," Olivia says to another doctor in his office. "All of
those kidneys and not a single match? Those poor picnickers." "Well, we'll
find other hosts for them," the doctor says. "They won't go to waste. But we
have to find someone compatible." "Any idea what the main point of
incompatibility is?" she asks. "Well, as you know, we've got pretty complete
genetic maps these days, so it should be possible to tell, and I--" The phone
rings, interrupting him. "Yeah? ... uh, huh... that's tough... ok...." He
hangs up. "That was the lab--they've narrowed it down. There's a rare gene
for `capability of extreme violence' that Danny seems to have and none of
these churchgoers have. No wonder! We're just looking in the wrong place."
At the hospital, Michael enters Olivia's office. "Mr. Baldwin, isn't it?"
Olivia asks. "That's right." "I saw your picture in the hospital magazine.
You're our new patient ombudsman, right? Something I can help you with?"
Olivia asks. "There just might be," Michael says. "I understand Danny
Romalotti might lose a kidney. If he does, I wanted to donate one of mine."
Olivia looks surprised, "That's a very generous gift," she says. "Are you
sure you understand the issues involved?" He nods. "I do. But there's one
condition." "A condition?" "It has to be completely anonymous." "Anonymous?"
"Yes." "Danny and I are not good friends. For all I know, he thinks I hate
him--but I don't. He is a very good friend of two of my friends---their lives
would be devastated without him. So if there's something I can do to spare
them that pain--" "Well," says Olivia, "it's an unusual request, but then--I
have to say, at this point we're very desperate. I'll see what I can do. Oh,
and, uh, Michael, could I get a sample of your blood--for compatibility
tests?" "Sure," says Michael. He puts out his arm, which she swabs and then
draws the blood from. "What are you looking for?" he says. "Unfortunately,"
Olivia says, "we need the gene for `capability of extreme violence', so..."
"So there should be reason for optimism," Michael says brightly. "There's a
silver lining in everything," he adds. She looks confused, and he answers her
implied question. "I've done time in prison for attempted rape. Paid my debt
to society, and all that, but still, maybe, I'm just the kind of guy Danny
needs right now... Anyway, I'll be around the hospital," Michael says.
"Here's my beeper number." He writes it down for her on a small slip of paper
and hands it to her. She stares in stunned amazement as he leaves.
Phyllis is walking down the hall to the ICU to visit Danny when she catches on
Michael's image in bed in a regular room. She look around, sees Olivia
standing nearby looking at a clipboard, and goes to her to ask, "Excuse me,
but is that Michael Baldwin in that bed across the way?" Olivia nods. "I'm a
very good friend of his and had no idea anything had befallen him--can you
tell me what he's in for?" "Nope, I can't," Olivia says. "He's asked that it
be kept confidential." "Confidential? Or anonymous? Word is that an
anonymous donor has been found for Danny Romalotti's kidney. That wouldn't by
any chance be Michael would it?" "I'm afraid I'm not at liberty to say,"
Olivia says. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have to tend to a patient." She
walks off.
At Legal Aid, Phyllis enters Cricket's office and after the usual "Phyllis,
what are you doing here" interchange, Phyllis says "Look, Christine, I didn't
come here for me, I came here for Michael. The man is doing everything in
the world he can to prove himself to you and you're ignoring him." "I've
spoken to Michael already about this. There's nothing I can do." "Do you
know where he is right now?" Cricket looks at her watch. "Hopefully he's
at work--unless he's gone back to his life of crime, and then he could be
anywhere." "Right now he's being prepped for surgery--he's asked to give a
kidney to Danny." "And he's asked you to hype the fact to me?" "No, I'm not
even supposed to know--I just found out by accident--neither of us was supposed
to know, and Michael would be mad if he knew I were talking about it. But I
felt that you SHOULD know." The phone rings and Cricket takes it. "This is
Christine Williams... they have? ... I'll be right there." "Well?" Phyllis
says. "They've found a donor ... an anonymous donor ..."
At Nina's house, Phillip is milling around quietly. "Mom?" Phillip asks Nina.
"Yes, Phillip?" "Do you think maybe it's because of me that Ryan broke up
with you?" "Why would you say that?" "Well, do you have any fancy lace
underwear?" "Phillip! Why would you ask that?" "Well, because Trisha does.
And she wears it around the house all the time now." "Phillip!" "It's ok.
I've really learned to like it. But I was thinking--maybe you thought I
wouldn't like it, and so you stopped wearing it. And then maybe Ryan got
bored and moved away. So I was thinking, if you wanted to wear stuff like
that around the house all the time, it would be ok with me. And then maybe
Dad would want to move back in, too."
Cricket enters Michael's room where he is waiting for surgery. "I found out
about your little ploy." "My what?" Michael asks. "To endear me to you,
by donating a kidney to Danny. But it's not going to work, so you might as
well not bother," she says. "I don't know what you're talking about," Michael
says. "Yes, I do," Cricket says. "And so do you. So you might as well give
up. This is pretty low of you, don't you think? Resorting to manipulating my
emotions this way?" "It was a condition of my donation," Michael says, "that
no one was to know. I told no one, and Dr. Winters promised not to tell anyone
either. I'm sorry you found out, I truly am--because I figured you would
probably think this of me. And I agree with you, some topics are just too
personal for people to use them for private manipulation. It also wouldn't
require very much imagination on my part, since I saw the same storyline on
The Bold and the Beautiful just a few weeks ago. Just so you know, I'm doing
it for very personal reasons--because I lost a member of my family long ago
for hesitating too long--and because, while Danny and I are not the best of
friends, both you and Phyllis are people I hold very dear in my heart. And I
just couldn't live with myself if Danny died for reasons I knew I could have
prevented. So I'm sorry that you found out, because I know you'll always
suspect me for my motives, but I'm not going to be dissuaded just because
you'll take it out on me. At least I'll still know I helped save a life, and
that will help make your later jabs at me easier to tolerate. I know I've
done awful things to you, Christine, and understand and accept that you've
not forgiven me for them--and perhaps you never will. But I still have to do
this, because I love Phyllis and because I love you, and because I couldn't
live with myself if I didn't." She is silent, a little misty. He breaks
the silence saying, "If you don't mind, Christine, I'd rather be alone now."
She nods and backs out.
Later on, Olivia enters and says to Michael, "All set for surgery?" He nods.
"No second thoughts?" "Nope," he says. "Oh, this letter came for you," she
says, handing him a letter. Michael opens it. Inside are two pages. The
first is a note from Christine. It says simply, "Michael, Thank you. I
contacted Victor Newman and told him what you'd done. He's a powerful man and
knew what strings to pull to get you this. I thought it might help you get
safely through your surgery." The second page is a joint decree from the
Dominican Republic and the State of Wisconsin attesting to, based upon
conversations with Christine Williams (one-time victim) Michael Baldwin's full
rehabilitation, and granting him a full reinstatement to the Bar of the State
of Wisconsin "with honors". He smiles and hands the paperwork back to Olivia,
who seems to know what this is about. She wraps the papers in a zip-lock bag
so they won't get bloody and tucks them under the sheets next to him as they
wheel his bed off to surgery. Outside, Cricket, Paul, Lynne, Mary, Louise,
Pearl, fourteen churchgoers bandaged at the hip, Cassie, Diane, and even Gina
(who's finally been informed of her brother's problem) stand smiling outside
the door and they all applaud as Michael is hauled down the hall to surgery.
As Michael is left to ponder the irony of Victor's having empowered him just
in time to be Diane's lawyer, we tie things up (so to speak) with a voiceover
by Danny of "Bless The Beasts and the Children".
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Copyright 1998 Kent M. Pitman. All Rights Reserved.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Another Way Out" takes plotline state at time of publication and shows that
there are interesting places right around the corner. The goal, besides
having some fun with good-natured parody, is to challenge the notion that we
must be mired in certain tired plotlines for months just to have a good time.
There is always another way out...
Archives of this and older episodes of "Another Way Out"
as well as the more serious "morals" that underly them,
can be found at: http://world.std.com/~pitman/awo/index.html
Don't forget to try the "character index" and "ratings index"!