The
Diner of Love
3503 Angel Square Court
Llanview, PA
"Nothin' Could Be Finer Than Some
Lovin' In the Diner"
"There ain't no lovin' like some diner lovin', hey ho"
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"Nothin' Could Be Finer Than Some
Lovin' In the Diner" |
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What can I get you?
Coffee's a dollar
I hope you like whip cream.
I just love the Voice of the Night. We have this special connection. |
MARCAL SCENES PAGE 23
Scene 28 The Slippery Slope
Friday, September 5
Setup: In an Atlantic City casino. Natalie is happily celebrating her victory in the pool tournament. Natalie: $500 just for playing pool. Max: No, it was for winning at pool. Cristian: I told you. I told you you'd win. Jessica, Marcie and Al walk up to them. Natalie: Jess! Jessica: Natalie. Natalie: I didn't think you'd make it. Al: Hi, Dad. Max: What brings you two to Atlantic City? Jessica: We all came to cheer you on. Max: Well, in that case, you're a little late. The tournament's over. Jessica: Oh. Natalie: But guess what -- I won. Al: Yeah. Jessica: It all? Natalie: Yeah. Jessica: Get out! Al: I heard you were pretty good, too. Marcie: Yeah. Sorry we missed it. Cristian: You can still see her play. Natalie: Yeah, I have another match later, but I don't expect to win that one. Jessica: Why not? Natalie: Well, because I’m only playing against one of the best pool players in the world, the Black Widow. Max: Natalie won it as part of the tournament. She gets to play against the best. It's a learning experience. Natalie: Yeah. I’m going to have to learn how to smile when she wipes the floor with me. Marcie: I thought I saw a Black Widow once in my grandmother's attic. I never went up there again. Al: Oh, my God. Marcie: What? Al: Marcie -- Marcie: What? Al: What is that on your arm? Marcie: (frightened) What? What? Marcie realizes he is teasing her. They laugh and hug. They bump into the Black Widow.
Marcie: Ooh, I’m so sorry. Natalie: Marcie, Al, Jess, this is the Black Widow, Jeanette Lee. Jeanette: Nice to meet you. Al: Nice to meet you. Jeanette: Hi. Pleasure. Jessica: Nice to meet you.
Natalie and Jeannette begin to play. Jeanette: Your break. Al and Marcie stand to the side and watch. Al: Last night was unbelievable. Marcie: Really? You're not just saying that? Al: It's all I can think about. That and when I can get you alone again. Marcie: Me, too. Al: You feel a little warm. Are you OK? Marcie: Yeah. No, I’m fine. Al: You sure? I mean, are you just saying you're fine? Because you have been through a lot lately. Marcie: I’m fine, and it's over. There's nothing to worry about. Al: Deke and Madison -- I hope they get charged with attempted murder. Marcie: Yeah. Well, you know, the only thing they've managed to do is get more people on my side. Everybody's been really great. Al: That's true. But I’m not going to take my eyes off of you.
In the meanwhile, Cris realizes he is in deep trouble if he can’t come up with the money to pay off his bet.. Man: You're in my book. One week. Oblivious to Cris’s decision to risk everything on the match, Natalie chats with her Max, Jessica, Roxy, Nigel, Marcie and Al. Natalie: So, I wonder if I’m going to get a rematch. Max: You could beat her one day. Jessica: You almost did. Natalie: Well, I don't think I would have gotten any of those shots in if all of you guys weren't here rooting me on. Roxy: Well, I think we're wasting precious gambling time. Nigel: Perhaps we might take in a show first. Jessica: You know what? I have to go, too. I promised Kevin that I'd go to this press conference at the country club. Cristian: Yeah, we should probably get going, too, huh? Natalie: Yeah. Later, coach. Max: Good job. Al: Bye. Marcie sways a bit. Marcie: Hey, you know what? I think that I should go home, too. I fibbed before. I think I’m not feeling well. I’m coming down with something. Max: Hey, listen, just take my key, go upstairs, and lie down for a while.
Al takes her face in his hands. Al: Yeah, that's a good idea because she's burning up. Marcie: Yeah. Al: You definitely have a fever. Marcie: Think I do. I feel dizzy. Whoa –
Marcie collapses back into Al’s arms. Al: Oh, whoa, whoa, whoa -- here. Max: Marcie, are you all right? Marcie: I think I need to go to the hospital. Max: You're going to be fine, OK? Al: Dad, she's not going to be fine. She's burning up. Max: No -- Al: She's really, really hot. Max: She's right. We need to get her to the hospital. Al: OK.
Monday, September 8 In an examining room at the hospital in Atlantic City, Marcie is in bed and Al and Max are standing next to the bed. Al: Dad, where are the doctors? Max: Marcie, how you feeling? You any better? Marcie: Hmm. Al: What's taking the doctor so long? I mean, does he know what's wrong with her? What's he doing? Max: Al, Al, they've been doing a lot of tests. It's going to take a while, all right? Al: How could she get sick so fast? Hey, listen, do you know what's wrong with her? I mean, she's really in a bad way here. Doctor: I'm going to have to ask some questions. Ms. Walsh, this blow to the head you sustained -- how did that happen exactly? Marcie: Somebody slammed me up against a wall. Doctor: And you lost consciousness? Marcie: Yeah, for a long time. That's when they threw me in the dumpster. Doctor: A dumpster with garbage? Al: Yeah, she was in there all night and all day. What's that got to do with anything? Doctor: I'm trying to determine how she could've gotten this. Max: Oh, so you know what this is? Doctor: I need you to think carefully, Ms. Walsh. Who have you had intimate contact with since the incident? Marcie: (looks down and says softly) Al. Doctor: And you, sir, you drove her here? Max: Well, we were -- we were all at one of the casinos together and we brought Marcie to the hospital when she got sick. Doctor: I need to get blood and chest x-rays from both of you. You could also be infected. Marcie: What? What do I have?
Later, Al and Max are standing next to Marcie’s bed along with the doctor. Al: Doctor, she seems worse. Doctor: Just try and rest. The antibiotics should start to help you soon. Marcie: OK. Doctor: Any neck stiffness, headache? Marcie: Uh, no, not really. Doctor: Just try and rest. Marcie: OK. Doctor: Can I see you both outside, please? Marcie: Sorry I caused all this trouble. Doctor: OK. Some of the tests are back. They show you were both exposed, so it's going to depend on your immune systems as to whether or not you develop symptoms or simply fight off the infection without incident. Max: This infection, germ -- Doctor: Staphylococcus. What Ms. Walsh has is called a staph infection, but this is not an ordinary case. Max: It hit her real fast. Doctor: That's what's troublesome. A staph infection can be a minor irritant, easily handled, but in this case -- Al: She's going to make it, right? I mean, she's going to recover? Doctor: The high-dose antibiotic we have her on should work. The particular strain she has must have come from something in the dumpster. She had a laceration on her scalp. We're going to have to watch her very carefully for any brain involvement. Max: Whoa. Excuse me. Are you telling us everything? Doctor: This infection has elements of a particular virus which doesn't really make sense. In any case, I'm going to put you both on a shot of gamma globulin, which will boost your immune systems. So if you'll follow me? Max: Whoa, wait, wait, wait. After this shot, then what? Doctor: We watch you under close observation. Max and Al follow the doctor out of the room.
Later, Max is standing beside Marcie’s bed. Al some distance away with his back to them. Max: How are you doing? Marcie: I still feel a little weird, but I think I'm better. Max: You hear that, Al? Al: Hey, that's great, sweetie. Really glad to hear it, you know, but you should lay back and rest a little more because you want to get your strength up, you know? Max: Hey, doc, good news -- Marcie thinks she's feeling better. Doctor: That's great. The antibiotic is obviously working. I consulted with several colleagues, and this antibiotic should do the trick. The main thing now is to make sure that neither of you is developing symptoms. Max: I'm feeling fine. Doctor: That's good. No nausea, vomiting, headache? Max: No, no, nothing. Doctor: And your son? Al is obviously uncomfortable. Max: Al? Doctor: Al? Al: Me? Doctor: How are you feeling? Al: Uh -- great. Just -- just peachy.
Max: Al, Al, what's happening? Al: I don't know, I'm sort of achy, cold. Max and the doctor rush over to Al. Marcie: That's how it started with me. I mean, Al, it can't, not you now.
Doctor: You lie down. You'd better lie down right here. The doctor helps Al stretch out on a gurney. Al: Oh. Doctor: Just take it easy. Marcie watches from her bed, terrified.
Later in the same examining room, Marcie is still in bed looking over at Al on the gurney. Max and the doctor are there as well. Doctor: He's having the same symptoms you had, Ms. Walsh. Marcie: Was I that bad? Max: You've got him on the antibiotics, right? Doctor: Hopefully, he'll respond the way Ms. Walsh did. Marcie: Yeah, but he looks sick. I don't think I looked that sick. Doctor: Mr. Holden, I need you to inform me if you begin to show symptoms. Max: I -- I will. Max: Hey, Marcie, come on, it took quite a while for your fever to come down. Al's tough. He's going to be cracking jokes by midnight. Marcie: Yeah. Yeah, right. We'll -- we'll drive back to Llanview and we'll have tons of wild and crazy stories to tell people, huh? Max: Yes, we will. Marcie: Yeah. Max: Marcie, he's going to be fine. Marcie: OK. But he never would've gotten sick if it weren't for me.
Later, Marcie calls out to Al who is still in the room stretched out on the gurney. Marcie: Al? Al is agitated and thrashing around. He moans. Marcie watches from her bed. Marcie: Al, just calm down. Al: No – Max tries to restrain him. Max: Al, Al, you have to lie still. Al: No, I don't have to lie still! Max: You're going to hurt yourself, you're going to hurt yourself, Al. Just lie still, OK? Just lie still. It's OK, it's OK. I need somebody in here! Help! Doc, doc, he's burning up. Doctor: We need acetaminophen and a cooling blanket in exam room one. We're going to get him cooled down. Marcie: What is happening? Doctor: He's delirious. His fever's spiked. We've got to bring it down fast. At Bo and Gabrielle’s apartment, Bo and Nora are dancing. Gabrielle walks in. Bo looks over and sees her. Bo: Honey. Gabrielle: Hi! Hi, Nora! Bo: Just proving that -- Nora: Hi. Nora cuts off the music. Bo: I was just proving to Nora that she's got two left feet. Nora: Hey. Gabrielle: Hey! Don't let me interrupt the party. Just ignore me the way you normally do. Want to know something? I had a fantastic time tonight -- with Max. She walks into the bedroom and slams the door. Bo: Uh -- The phone rings. Bo: Hello? Max: Hi, it's Max. I need to talk to Gabrielle. It's an emergency. Bo: Well, hey, Max. What's wrong? Max: I'm in an Atlantic City hospital with Al and Marcie. They came up with some strange kind of infection. She needs to get here right away. It's bad.
Wednesday, September 10 At Crossroads, Max is talking to Cris and Natalie. Cristian: So, Al is going to get better, right? Max: Yeah. Oh, yeah. Just -- we're just glad that they let him -- well, they let us move him home to Llanview. Cristian: Look, Max, I hate bringing this up now, to bail on you in the middle of -- Max: Oh, hey, listen, you got a better gig, go take it. Frankly, I'm thinking about shutting this place down for a while, anyway. Natalie: No, you can't do that. Look, I know about the offer that my brother made to you, but, Max, I can take care of this place myself. Max: Natalie, you'd be all alone because I'm going to have to be spending some time getting Al back on his feet. Natalie: I'll talk to Roxy, and we'll work out the schedule so I can make time for here. I don’t want Crossroads to shut down, OK? Look, Kevin needs to see you. Cristian: OK. Max: Hey, Cris, good luck. Look, don’t worry about this place. Cristian: Thanks, Max. See you later. Cris leaves. Natalie: Max, I can do this. Max: Are you sure? Yeah, what am I saying? Come on, this is the lady that took on the Black Widow. Natalie: Next time, and with your help. Max: Hmm. Nah. Already taught you everything I know. You're on your own from now on. Listen, I better go see Al. Natalie: I hope he gets better. Max: Oh, he'll be back and at 'em before you know it.
In a room at the hospital in Llanview, Gabrielle is standing next to the bed touching Al's forehead. Gabrielle: You are going to be fine now that you're back home and I'm here to take care of you. Larry walks into the room. Larry: How's it going in here? Al: Dr. Wolek, is Marcie all right? Larry: We're running a couple more tests, but looks like she'll be fine. Gabrielle: Here you go. You are going to be fine, too. Larry: Think I want to check the big guy right now, OK? Gabrielle: Sure. I'll be right outside, OK? Gabrielle leaves. Al: OK. So, think I'll make it, Doc? In the hall, Gabrielle walks up to Bo. Gabrielle: Well, Marcie's well on her way to recovery, so I'm sure Al will be, too. Bo: How are you holding up? Gabrielle: I'm fine. Don’t worry about me. I'm all right. Bo: I do worry. Gabrielle: You know, Bo, when you came after me to tell me about Al, nothing else mattered. Nothing else at all. But there is still something between us that we have to clear up, Bo.
Larry comes out of Al’s room. Max rushes up to him. Max: Larry, how's he doing? Gabrielle: Marcie's getting better very quickly. Why isn't Al? Larry: Well, his fever's lingering, and he's still a bit jaundiced, which means his liver's involved. Gabrielle: OK, so, can't you give him something else? Larry: We've already started a new round of antibiotics. We're running more tests. I'll get you the results when they get here. Max: May we go in and see him? Larry: Yeah, one at a time, OK? Gabrielle: Max, you go first. Max nods and goes into the room. Larry leaves. Gabrielle turns to Bo. Gabrielle: So, why isn't he getting well? Bo: Well, maybe we'll find out when we get the results of the test. Gabrielle: No, you're right. You're right. Got to stay positive, yeah. Bo: You have been. Gabrielle: Yeah -- well, no, actually. No, I haven't been. I haven't been positive at all. What have I been doing? I've been wasting my time trying to make you jealous. Bo: That doesn't matter. Gabrielle: Yes, it does. Yeah, it matters more than ever.
In Al’s hospital room, Max is talking to Al. Al: Dad? Thanks. Max: For what? Al: Marcie. Helping her. Max: Listen, I'm here for you, too, you know. Al: Did you bring it? Max: You bet. Although I don’t know what on earth you're going to do with it. He hands Al a small tape recorder. Al: It's -- it's something to keep me busy.
Meanwhile, out in the hall, Bo and Gabrielle continue their conversation. Gabrielle: Look, I have tried to accept your relationship with Nora. I have. It's just that every time I turned around, there you were together. And I'm sorry -- I just -- I didn't handle that very well at all. Bo: Gabrielle -- Gabrielle: Please, I have to finish. I got very jealous, so I decided to make you jealous with Max. I went to meet Max at Atlantic City, but, of course, it all backfired in my face because you never found my note and I never found Max. Why didn't I find him? Because he was in the hospital with my son. And what was I doing? While my son was sick, all I was doing was worrying about myself. Well, let me tell you, I would -- I would change all of that right now, I'd give it all up, if I could make Al well, and I'm prepared to do anything even -- even give you up. So, why don’t you go, Bo. Why don’t you just go -- why don’t you go be with Nora?
In Al’s hospital room, Al and Max continue to talk. Al: What did Dr. Wolek say? Max: Oh, you know, same old, same old. More tests. Al: Marcie's didn't take this long. Max: Al, look, everybody's different. You'll tough this out. Al: Damn straight.
Meanwhile in the hallway, Bo and Gabrielle continue their conversation. Bo: Gabrielle, you want me to go? Gabrielle: I want my son to get well, Bo. Bo: So that's what this is. You're making deals with God. Gabrielle: If that's what it takes. Bo: I don’t think it works that way. Gabrielle: You want to be with Nora, so, you kno---- Bo: Have you ever heard me say that? Gabrielle: No. I see the way the two of you are together. Bo: Yeah, we're fine. Gabrielle: Yeah. Bo: You know, we're good. We're friends. We laugh. We dance together. We laugh about old times. We both enjoy spending time with our son. But it's not what people see when they see you and me together. Gabrielle: What -- what do they see? Bo: Well, they see two people who maybe haven't found a comfortable fit yet because they're still falling in love, more and more every day. Still finding out new things about each other. They're still figuring out things. It's exciting. Gabrielle: Do you feel that way? Bo: Mm-hmm. And I didn't think that I ever could again. Gabrielle: I didn't think I ever could, either. Bo: Max and the jealousy thing -- I knew about that. I'm a cop. Gabrielle: Why didn't you say something? Bo: Oh, what I should have done is not make you feel so insecure. Gabrielle: You told me not to worry about Nora. Bo: But you didn't believe it, so I must've done something wrong. It's not going to happen again. I love you, Gabrielle. You. Gabrielle: You do? Bo: Do you hear what I'm saying? Good. Because I don’t want you to ever doubt that again.
Later, Gabrielle is in Al’s room sitting next to him on the bed. Max is standing next to them. Al: Mom, do you think you could go check on Marcie, see what's going on with her for me, please? Max: I just looked in on her, and she was just resting. Gabrielle: She's fine, and you're going to be fine, too. Al: That's right, Mom. Max: That's what I told them at the law school. They said you can start next term. Al: Thanks, Dad. Gabrielle: Why don’t you lay back and close your eyes because we're not going anywhere. We'll be right here. Bo walks up to her. Gabrielle: I think he's looking a little better, don’t you? Bo: Could you use a break? Gabrielle: I don’t think I could leave right now. Is that OK? Bo: Yeah, sure I'm going to check in with the station, all right? Gabrielle: Yeah. A monitor beeps. Gabrielle: What -- what is it? What's going on? Al rushes over to Al. Larry: Al, Al -- Al, talk to me. Come here. Talk to me. Are you feeling pain? Al: Tired. Nurse: B.P. 80/40. Larry: Check again, check again. Gabrielle: What's happening to him? What -- he's going to be all right, isn't he? Larry: Everybody, please, step outside. Just step outside. Come on, Al. Stay with me. Stay with me! Fluids wide open. H and H. Thank you. Clotting factor, factor five. OK, come on, Al. Stay here. Stay here. All right, he's going into shock.
After a few moments, Larry walks out into the hall. There is a grim expression on his face. Gabrielle: Larry, what's wrong with Al? Larry: All right. All right, his blood pressure's improved, and he seems stable. That's a good sign. Gabrielle: Oh, thank God. Larry: But I'm concerned. Max: Something else? Larry: Yeah, I had his liver enzymes checked again, and his bilirubin, and I don’t like what I saw. Meanwhile, in Al’s room, he brings a tape recorder close to his mouth and begins to speak into it. Al: This is the Voice of the Night. You may never hear this, because if I make it, I'm going to kill this tape. But if you are hearing these words, it's because they're my last.
SCENES
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