Hello Darkness My Old Friend
Episode 199
Fade In: Interior. Same scene as we left. Kathy is standing in the living room of Elsie’s cabin. Elsie is seated on the old couch cradling Declan.
Kathy: Where am I and what are you doing with my baby?
Elsie: (Handing her Declan): Oh, you’re free to take him. (Kathy snatches him.) Don’t be afraid, Kathy. That is your name, isn’t it?
Kathy: Yes but how do you know that?
Elsie: Sit down, please, and let me get you some coffee and something to eat.
Kathy: What do you want from me?
Elsie: Please, sit, please. (Kathy slowly sits holding Declan.) As I said I mean you no harm. (As she crosses to pour the coffee into a mug and puts a muffin on the plate.) Do you take your coffee black or do you like cream?
Kathy: A little cream, please.
Elsie: A little cream, it is. (She pours the cream.) One sugar or two?
Kathy: One, please. Look what is this all about?
Elsie: You don’t recall last night at all?
Kathy: I remember coming to the island–
CUT-TO: Dark. Rainy night. Gull Island. Kathy exits off a boat with Declan and begins to carry some things but she is exhausted and she trips. She doesn’t fall but she is about to when Elsie comes out of the shadows, grabs the baby, as Kathy falls to the ground.
CUT-TO: Interior. Elsie’s cabin. Kathy is seated on the couch as Declan is in Elsie’s arms and she’s placing him in a crib.
Kathy: You took Declan from me?
Elsie: Yes. I can’t sleep any more at night so I usually go for walks. I saw your boat coming over and saw you had the baby and well I knew you might need help. I walked down to the docks. You stumbled off the boat, I grabbed the baby–
Kathy: How did you know our names?
Elsie: You told me. Once I woke you up and got you to your feet you asked for Declan so I said he was fine and I asked you what your name is and you said Kathy.
Kathy: And you took us here and put me to bed and watched Declan all night?
Elsie: It wasn’t any trouble. You needed to sleep and he needed someone to look after him. I was happy to do it.
Kathy: And here I am being angry with you? (She hugs Elsie, who is shocked but likes it.) I’m so sorry.
Elsie: It’s nothing. Don’t fuss about it. Your things are here and everything’s fine. Can I get you more coffee?
Kathy: No, I can get it.
Elsie: You’re a guest in my house. True it isn’t much of house but it’s mine. (Taking Kathy’s cup and pouring coffee in it.) Is there anything else I can do before I go and make the bed?
Kathy: No we’re fine. Thank you. (Elsie starts to exit.) What’s your name?
Elsie: Elsie. Elsie Garrett. And yours?
Kathy: Kathy. Kathy Hogan and this is my son Declan. (She picks Declan up.)
Elsie: It’s nice to meet you, Kathy and Declan. Were you headed anywhere special when you came here to the island?
Kathy: No. No place special. We’ll be out of your way in about an hour.
Elsie: There’s no need of that. I live alone here. You and Declan are welcome to stay as long as you like. Now let me go see about that bed. (She exits.)
Kathy: Thank you, Elsie. Thank you very much.
Close up of Kathy
CUT-TO: Interior. Sylvia’s living room. She is seated on her couch and Richard is standing.
Richard: All right, Sylvia, what is this all about?
Sylvia: Sit down and relax. Don’t make it be all official. Sit. (He sits and she rises and crosses to the bar.) Do you want a drink?
Richard: No. I’m here because you called me. Now what is this all about?
Sylvia: One little drink isn’t going to hurt you. You live next door for Christ sakes! Now what will it be?
Richard: I’ll have a glass of wine wine.
Sylvia: Vodka tonic it is! (She pours him a vodka tonic.)
Richard: Sylvia!
Sylvia: Richard! We’ve known each other for years. We’re old friends.
Richard: We’ve known each other through business, Sylvia. That hardly qualifies me as your friend or you as mine.
Sylvia: (Hands him his vodka tonic): Oh, I see. You’re on the Kathy Burke for Sainthood Bandwagon too is that it?
Richard: What you did was reprehensible.
Sylvia: Reprehensible was it? Martin came into my house and slashed Daddy’s portrait in two! Kathy pushed my husband off a cliff to his death! Dot lies to the entire town that I am her daughter! And Jennifer breaks up my happy marriage! But what I did was reprehensible? What about them, huh?
Richard: I’m not here to argue with you, Sylvia, or to be included in your pity party. Tell me what it is you want.
Sylvia: Arthur is stepping down as Chief of Staff. He wants to remain at Maple Falls General but no longer wishes to be in charge. He had the nerve to suggest to me that I should reinstate my wonderful ex-husband who has made my life miserable. I won’t do it.
Richard: Sylvia, while Arthur did a fine job as Chief of Staff Max is truly the one who knows how to run the hospital. Your father wanted him to do it after he died. Sidney told me so himself.
Sylvia: Daddy wanted that because he thought that Max and I would still be married. Instead he cheated with every woman in Maple Falls including your girlfriend! The lustful Jennifer Crane.
Richard: Don’t speak that way about Jen.
Sylvia: Why not? It’s the truth. She broke up my happy home. Max is gone. Judy and David are gone. Tom is dead and Daddy–
Richard: I think you’ve had enough to drink. It’s time to put you to bed.
Sylvia: You’re not taking me to bed, Richard? What would Jennifer say?
Richard: Lay down on the couch, Sylvia, and close your eyes.
Sylvia: It’s so sad, Richard, to see someone as wonderful as you wasting your time on someone who doesn’t deserve you. I don’t know what it is but she has always been jealous of me. Even when we were little and all I’ve ever been is kind and sweet to her and everyone else in Maple Falls.
Richard: (Takes the empty glass out of her hand): Lay down, Sylvia. (She does and he puts a pillow in back of her head. He puts a blanket over her.) There. Is that better?
Sylvia: No one likes me, Richard. I have no one at all. I don’t even have you as a friend.
Richard: I spoke in anger before, Sylvia. Of course I’m your friend.
Sylvia: You’ll stay until I fall asleep?
Richard: I’ll stay. I promise. (He gently holds her hand and kisses it.) Now close your eyes. (Sylvia closes her eyes. Quietly to himself.) It isn’t as if I’ve got anywhere else to go.
CUT-TO: Interior. Violet’s house. She enters carrying her roses and begins to put them into a vase. She is wearing her sun hat, gardening gloves, sneakers and nothing else. She is fretting over the roses and one pricks her finger. She sees blood and begins to suck on it.
Silas: (Off): Hello, Miss Violet.
Violet: (Quietly): Silas? Is that you, Silas?
Silas: (Enters): Yes, Miss Violet, it’s me. Do you want me to help you with the roses?
Violet: Yes that would be very nice. I never could arrange roses. Not the way you do.
Silas: (Takes the roses and begins arranging them; Laughs): That’s true. You would have me arrange them and then you’d take the credit, remember?
Violet: You don’t mind that I did that, do you?
Silas: No. I was used to it. You like taking credit for things even if you don’t do them. What’s funny is you never take credit for the things you actually do. Course most people wouldn’t call it credit. They’d call it blame.
Violet: You don’t blame me for anything, do you, Silas?
Silas: I’d like to say no–
Violet: Well that’s good–
Silas: But I can’t. I mean I’m dead and you’re to blame for that. You’re also to blame for Mister Henry buried underneath your beautiful roses and you’re to blame for Andrew’s blindness because if Mister Tom hadn’t taken Andrew out on the boat that morning–
Violet: STOP IT! STOP IT! (She hits the vase and it shatters. She looks around. The roses are still sitting on the table where she had placed them. Quietly she sits in a chair and cries.)
CUT-TO: Interior. Cabin where Kathy had been staying. Jim, Martin, Patrick, and Colleen are searching it frantically. Ginny enters.
Ginny: Hello, Jim. (Jim and everyone else turn to Ginny.) Where’s Kathy?
Fade to Black
Everlasting Love 