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E.R.
"Blood Bonds"
Act Two
Scene opens in Doctor's Lounge. Doug is pacing the floor with a clenched fist, banging his
clipboard off the side of his thigh, and mumbling under his breath in obvious low boiling rage.
Doug (mumbling):
Son of a ...
(released his rage by hurling his clipboard across the room at the wall)
Cut to doorway. Just as the clipboard begins to fly through the air, Mark Greene is entering the lounge. The clipboard narrowly misses hitting him and Mark puts his hands up to shield himself.
Mark (with a laugh):
Whoa! INCOMING!!
Doug (turns quickly...apologetically):
I'm sorry, Mark! I didn't see you coming.
Mark (enters the room...starts over toward Doug):
Probably because you weren't looking? Take it easy, Bud (stops Doug's
pacing by placing his hands on his shoulders) What's wrong?
Doug (looks his friend in the eye):
In a word? Ray Ross!
Mark (rolls his eyes):
Again? Still? When are you gonna stop letting that guy get to you?
Doug (pulls loose and starts pacing again):
It wasn't enough that he screwed up my life! Oh, no! He can't stop there!
He has to screw up somebody else's life too!
Mark (stops his pacing again...tries hard to understand what he's hearing):
You're not making any sense, Bud. Maybe you better start at the
beginning?
Doug (stops pacing...stands eye to eye with Mark again):
They guy they brought in down in ER a little bit ago? Kilpatrick? His
manager gave me his personal information so we could admit him. His mother
died years ago. His father is alive, but, Chris doesn't know where he is. Well,
I do know where he is! His manager told me his father's name is Ray Ross!
Mark (tries not to react):
Are you sure it's the same one?
Doug (sarcastically):
Oh, there's only one, Mark! Nobody else named Ray Ross could be
that good at screwing up people's lives!
Mark (trying to offer light in a dark situation):
Then, you've got a brother?
Doug (nods):
A brother I didn't know about for 30 years!
Mark (quietly):
Well, you know about him now. The past doesn't matter, Doug. Now is
what counts.
Doug (looks at his feet...unsure of his words):
How do you walk into a hospital room and tell a man you've never met
before that he's your kid brother?
Mark (places a hand of friendship on Doug's shoulder):
I don't know. But, I'm betting you'll find a way. Maybe you should start
with his manager?
Doug (nods...emotion clouding up in his eyes):
Yeah. Maybe that would be the best place to start.
(thinks about the situation and minute and looks up to face Mark)
Suppose Chris doesn't want a brother?
Mark (shrugs):
Maybe he could use a friend. From the sounds of things, he's not any
more fond of Ray Ross than you are, so you've already got something in
common with him.
(both laugh at this remark)
Doug (nods):
Yeah, I guess so. OK. You're right.
Mark (pats his friend on the shoulder):
And let me know how it turns out, OK?
Doug (nods again):
Yeah. I will. And, I'm sorry about that incoming.
Mark (shrugs):
It's OK.
(starts to walk away...turns back from the door with a smile)
You missed!
Scene cuts to a waiting area, where Gene Carrigan is sitting alone waiting for word about Chris. Doug comes down the hall, spots him, and walks over to him quietly.
Doug (taps his shoulder lightly):
Excuse me, Mr. Carrigan?
Gene (looks up quickly):
Yes, Doctor? Doug? Right?
Doug (smiles):
Yeah! I was wondering if we could go for coffee together. I'd like to
talk to you about Chris.
Gene (concerned look on his face):
Nothing serious, I hope?
Doug (shake his head lightly):
No, nothing like that! I'd just like to talk to you.
Doug leads Gene to a quiet corner in the hospital cafeteria and get coffee for both of them. He sits down at the table with the manager and begins 'fixing' his coffee the way he likes it.
Gene (concerned):
Chris is going to be all right, isn't he?
Doug (nods):
He's gonna be fine. The ice isn't doing much for the bleeding, however.
I think we're looking at some surgery to fix the tear in his spleen. But, that's not
really anything major. He should be out of the hospital in a few days and back
on the race track in a few weeks.
Gene (gives a sigh of relief):
Well, that's good news. Will you be doing the surgery?
Doug (shakes his head):
No. First of all, I'm a Pediatrician. I was on call when the accident happened,
and I just did my job down in ER to take care of things. No, Chris will be in the
care of Dr. Peter Benton, he's a surgeon and he's excellent, so, you have
nothing to worry about there.
Gene (sips his coffee):
Well, I'm sorry to hear that. Chris seems to be comfortable with you. I'm sure
he'd feel better in your care.
Doug (smiles):
Well, I'll talk to him about Peter and I'm sure he'll feel just as comfortable
in his care as he would mine.
Gene (laughs lightly):
Chris doesn't warm up to very many people. I was surprised he didn't
blow you off down there.
Doug:
He seems to like you pretty well.
Gene (sips his coffee and returns the cup to the table):
Chris is a good kid. He's a little wild, but, that's just because he's never
had anyone to really care about him much.
Doug:
How'd you meet him?
Gene:
He started hanging around the track in Pocono when he was about 13 I
guess. His Mom was real sick and he was trying to make money to help her. I
put him to work as a 'gopher' for my mechanics. He learned a lot about cars. By
the time he was 16 he was working under the hood and by the time he was 17 he
was driving test laps. When he turned 18, we got him a sponsor and turned him
loose on the circuit.
Doug (smiles):
I understand he's pretty successful.
Gene (shrugs):
He could be a champion if he'd just take some meaning into his driving.
He's got the head. And the skill. It's the heart he lacks.
Doug:
What do you know about his father?
Gene (shakes his head):
I never met the man, actually. Chris only mentioned him a couple of
times. He was married to another woman when Chris was born. I think he
saw the boy a couple of times. Chris tried desperately to find him when his
mother died, but, didn't have any luck.
Doug (looks at his hands...speaks slowly):
And you said his name is Ray Ross, right?
Gene (nods):
Yeah, that's right. You know him?
Doug (nods):
Yeah. I know him.
(looks directly into Gene's eyes)
He's my father too.
Gene (shocked...but interested in hearing more):
Your father?
Doug (anger starting to boil, but, he contains it):
Yeah, he's never been much good to me, either. I would have thought
ruining one life would have been enough for him, but, I guess not.
Gene:
You plan to tell Chris about this, don't you?
Doug:
Do you think I should? I mean, how do you think he'll take it?
Gene:
Well, there's never been any love lost for Ray where Chris is concerned
anyway. It won't change anything there. I don't know how he'll react to a
brother but, I think he should know.
Doug (nods):
Then, I'll tell him. I'm not sure how....but I'll find a way.
Gene (offering):
Would you rather I told him?
Doug (shakes his head):
No. Let me tell him. Please.
Fade Act Two To Black
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Act Three