Baby Oh Baby
Episode 223
Fade In: Interior. A dance hall. It is dark and a soldier, 20s, enters and comes over to a dance hall girl seated in a chair, 20s. He extends his hand and she smiles and takes his. She rises and they start to dance slowly to the music.
Woman: My name is Dorothy Jean. What’s yours?
Man: Donald McShane.
Woman: I’ve never seen you here before.
Man: I’ve been a couple of times but I haven’t seen you. Are you new here?
Woman: No, I’ve been here a few months. I guess we just missed each other–
Man: Until now.
Woman: Yes until now, Donald.
(They continue to dance as we dissolve to a bright sunny day as Dot and Donald are still young eating in the grass sharing a lunch and bottle of wine from a picnic basket.)
Donald: I can’t believe you’ve never been to Boston Common.
Dot: I haven’t been in Boston that long.
Donald: Dorothy, I’ve been coming to see you at the dance hall for two months now.
Dot: Has it been that long? It seems to have gone by so quickly. Besides with my work at the dance hall I don’t get out much.
Donald: You can’t be holed up in that dance hall all the time. You have to get out and see people.
Dot: Who would I see? I don’t know anyone in this city other than you, Donald.
Donald: You must meet other men.
Dot: Yes but they don’t want to be seen with me in the daylight. I assume most of them are married. You’re not, are you?
Donald: I told you before I’m not. Why do you keep asking me that?
Dot: Just curious.
Donald: Well it makes me angry.
Dot: Don’t be angry with me. You’re my only friend here.
Donald: I’m not sure that’s true. (Dot looks confused) I’ve seen you with that other man. The Jewish one.
Dot: Sidney Green?
Donald: Is that his name?
Dot: (She nods): He’s a doctor at Boston General. He’s offered to take me out of the dance hall and get me a job as a candy striper. I might do it, too.
Donald: You know he’s married, don’t you, Dorothy?
Dot: Yes, I know but he says he’s unhappy. (Donald frowns) I thought after we were together that something more might come from it.
Donald: I told you that I can’t make a commitment to you. I’m still in the service and I could be called up at any time.
Dot: I know that but you can’t expect me to stop living my life.
Donald: I’m not asking you to do that. I just want you to take care of yourself better.
Dot: I’ll try, Donald. I promise.
(They kiss as we slowly dissolve to Dot seated in a doctor’s office. We only see Dot as we hear the Doctor.)
Doctor: You are pregnant, Mrs. Jones.
(Dot is stunned as we dissolve back to the dance hall. Dot is once again seated on a chair as Donald walks in. She is surprised and he extends his hand and she hesitates and then gives hers to him. She rises and they start to dance.)
Dot: Hello, Donald.
Donald: So formal? I know it’s been a month since I came by. I’ve been doing a lot of soul-searching. Because you mean something to me, Dorothy, I wanted to see you before I left for good.
Dot: Left? For good? Where are you going?
Donald: I’m going to be a Priest. I go into the seminary tomorrow. I have a calling I’ve been denying. I know it’s who I’m meant to be.
Dot: A Priest!
Donald: You sound so surprised.
Dot: Do you blame me? After our time together.
Donald: Dorothy, you’re making a scene.
Dot: Please, Donald, just go.
Donald: (Hurt): Dorothy?
(She walks away from him as he’s left alone on the dance floor.)
(Dissolve slowly into Father McShane standing the same way in his office.)
Donald: Dorothy, you can’t be serious.
Dot: I’ve never been more serious, Donald. You are Kathy Burke’s father. I gave birth to her and wanted to keep her but I couldn’t so Frank Hogan heard about my baby and he came and I gave her to him. I regretted that decision from the moment I made it but what else was I to do?
Donald: You could have told me you were carrying my child.
Dot: You told me that being a Priest was your calling and I think you’re right. It is. You’ve been a wonderful Priest. You truly do have calling, Donald.
Donald: But if you had told me–
Dot: You would have married me out of obligation. You would have resented me. It never would have worked.
Donald: Does Kathy know?
Dot: No and I don’t think it’s something she could take right now. I never intended for you to know but it all came out today. I’m sorry for that, Donald. I should go.
Donald: Go? I don’t know how I feel about any of this.
Dot: I don’t either. I’m going to stay away for a while.
Donald: Yes I think that’s best.
Dot: Goodbye, Donald.
Donald: Dorothy.
(She exits as he sits in his chair.)
CUT-TO: Interior. Grace’s room. She is standing at the door with a glass on it. She smiles happily having heard that Kathy is Donald’s child but hears someone coming down the hall so she drops the glass and hops back into bed. As the person goes by the door.
Grace: Kathy is Donald’s daughter. That’s good to know.
CUT-TO: Interior. Violet’s cottage. Her front door opens with Andrew in a wheelchair and Nurse pushing him as Violet enters behind them.
Andrew: Everything here is so beautiful, Gran-mere.
Violet: (Closing the door): I’m thrilled you are finally able to see it all again, Andrew.
Andrew: Your rose garden is especially beautiful.
Violet: Thank you, dear.
Andrew: You must use a special kind of fertilizer. I’d never seen a roses that red.
Violet: (To the Nurse): Make yourself useful. Put Andrews things in the second room. Scat. (The Nurse exits.)
Andrew: (Chiding): Gran-mere, you shouldn’t talk to her that way.
Violet: Who? Her? I don’t care about her. The only people I care about are you and your mother. I am determined that you get well and be the Andrew Eaton I always knew you could be.
Andrew: You didn’t think I could be the Andrew Eaton you expected when I was blind?
Violet: I didn’t mean that at all, dear. Here let me help you. (She helps raise him from the wheelchair on to the couch and gets him a blanket which she covers him in.)
Andrew: Don’t fuss over me, Gran-mere, I’m fine.
Violet: I enjoy fussing over you. You are an Eaton after all. Great things are expected of you.
Andrew: Can I have my phone please. I want to call Colleen.
Violet: Why would you want to do that, dear?
Andrew: She’s my girlfriend.
Violet: Is she?
Andrew: Yes. Please, Gran-mere, my phone.
Violet: (Picks up his phone): You know, Andrew, I hate to have to point this out but the reason you are here with me is because of Colleen. She’s the reason you ran out into the street, she’s the reason you were hit by that car, she’s the reason you had emergency surgery. You almost died and now you want her to be your girlfriend? It doesn’t any sense to me.
Andrew: She didn’t mean for any of that to happen. It was an accident.
Violet: Yes of course. Was it an accident when her father shot and killed Noel Tremayne?
Andrew: He didn’t kill Noel Tremanye.
Violet: Are you saying Colleen’s father is a liar? He confessed to it, didn’t he?
Andrew: Gran-mere, the phone, please.
Violet: (Handing him his phone): Yes, dear. I don’t mean to get you upset but you might want to think about the type of girl who would lead a blind boy into the street and then have a father confess to a killing and a mother who runs away with a baby that isn’t hers. I think it’s fair to say that the Burkes are not our kind of people.
Andrew: (Into phone): Hi, Colleen. Yeah, I heard. I’m here at Gran-mere’s cottage. Can you come by? Ok. I’ll see you after class. I love you, too, bye. (He hangs up.)
Violet: Andrew, do you think it’s wise that she come by this afternoon?
Andrew: Sure. I don’t see why not.
Violet: (Sighs): You need your rest. You had a traumatic experience and your body needs time to heal. What you don’t need is Colleen coming in and out of this house with all her drama and nonsense. If she does that it will sap your energy and stop you for getting well faster.
Andrew: How can that be? Every time I see Colleen I feel better. I am kind of sleepy now so I’d like to take a nap if that’s all right.
Violet: Of course, dear. You rest. We’ll do whatever you say.
Close up of Violet
CUT-TO: Close up of Paula
Paula: What do you mean I can’t leave Maple Falls?
(Expand to show that we are in Ginny’s office. Paula is standing in front of Ginny’s desk and Ginny is standing behind it.)
Ginny: It’s not just Maple Falls you can’t leave. You can’t leave the state.
Paula: Why not? I’ve been cleared of killing my ex-husband.
Ginny: You gotta be kidding me, right? You haven’t been cleared of anything.
Paula: My brother confessed to the crime.
Ginny: I know but I’m not sure I believe him. Maybe he confessed to it to you get you outta jail.
Paula: But I didn’t kill Noel and I want to go to Florida–
Ginny: I know. I heard you. You want to go to Florida to be with Sheri so you can film your part in some lousy movie. I’m surprised at you. How can you take off on your brother and his family at a time like this? How selfish are you?
Paula: It has nothing to do with that. I’ve been offered the role and I accepted it and now I feel I must fulfill my contract. I’ll be back in a few days anyway.
Ginny: Did you hear what I said? The answer is no. Now get outta here. I got work to do.
Paula: Well!
(Paula starts to exit in a huff as Ginny sits at her desk and pulls out the file on Noel. She opens it)
Ginny: What the fuck?
Paula: Such language and from a Police Chief!
Ginny: Hold it a minute. Come here.
Paula: What is it?
Ginny: Sit down. (Paula hesitates) Please. (Paula sits)
Paula: Are you going to let me go to Florida?
Ginny: No. Tell me something. How well did you know your ex-husband? (Paula looks confused.) Did you ever hear of a man named Ned Turner or Nicky Travis?
Paula: No. Why should I know them?
Ginny: I’m going to need to read this file completely before I can really say anything but from what little I’ve read Noel Tremayne never existed.
Paula: What do you mean he didn’t exist?
Ginny: I’m ordering you right now not to say anything to anyone but you weren’t married to Noel Tremayne from Liverpool, England. You were married to a convicted killer from Appalachia named Ned Turner.
Close up of Paula
CUT-TO: Interior. O’Leary’s. Brian is at the bar drunk. Melanie is behind the bar.
Brian: So that’s it, Mellie. Did anyone ever call you Mellie?
Melanie: Not and live to tell it. Why don’t I call you a Uber and you can go home and sleep it off.
Brian: You don’t want me either, huh? First Arthur doesn’t want me, my mother doesn’t want me and now you don’t want me.
Melanie: It’s not that. I think you’ve had enough and–
Brian: I can’t go home and sleep it off. I have to go back to work. My public wants me. I have to read the news. People are counting on me. Did you ever have people counting on you?
Melanie: Not always but now I do. I like it.
Brian: Do you? Who counts on you?
Melanie: David.
Brian: Yeah, David he’s a good kid. Sheri used to count me but I let her down. She hates me now.
Melanie: She doesn’t hate you, Brian, no one hates you.
Brian: My mother does. She hates me. I’m a disappointment. An embarrassment. I humiliate her because I’m gay. She said so. I’m not as good and kind and loving and sweet and perfect as my sister Kathy Burke. Kathy can do no wrong and I can do no right. I always knew my mother felt that way but to have her actually say it. See that counting thing.
Melanie: The counting thing?
Brian: You know. We just talked about it. You said you liked having people count on you. Like David. Remember? (She nods) I liked having people count on me too but the problem is that you start to count on them and they always let you down.
(Martin enters and he goes over to Melanie.)
Melanie: (Quietly): Thanks, Mart, I didn’t know who else to call.
Martin: It’s all right, Mel. (Going over to Brian) Come on, Brian, let’s go home.
Brian: Martin? My old friend Martin. Can I count on you, Martin? Can I?
Martin: Sure. You can always count me, Brian.
Brian: See, Mellie, I can count on Martin and you. You and Martin are the only friends I have in this whole world.
Martin: Come on, Brian. Let’s go. Night, Mel.
Melanie: Good night, Mart, Brian.
CUT-TO: Exterior. Dusk settling in. Exterior of O’Learys. Martin and Brian are exiting as Paula enters.
Martin: And where do you think you’re heading?
Paula: Oh, hello Father. Brian, are you all right?
Brian: Absolute–oh, I’m gonna be sick.
(Martin lets Brian go as Paula exits into O’Learys)
Martin: Oh for Christ Sake
CUT-TO: Interior. O’Leary’s. Melanie is still behind the bar as Paula enters.
Melanie: What’s the matter?
Paula: Brian is outside throwing up. What did you serve him anyway?
Melanie: What he asked for. Is Mart all right?
Paula: Yes. He’s out there with him. I’ll take a white wine please. The cheapest you have.
Melanie: (Gets out the bottle and starts to fill the glass): What’s the matter with you?
Paula: What could be wrong with me? I’m falsely imprisoned for my ex-husband’s murder, I can’t leave the state because the Police Chief won’t allow me too so I can fly down to Florida and make some money on that movie I got Sheri’s starring in and I’m almost flat broke not to mention my brother is incarcerated and on top of all that I found out something tonight that if I could tell you would knock your socks off. (Takes the glass of wine.) How’s things with you? (She takes a swig of the wine and makes a face.)
Fade to Black
Everlasting Love 