Return to Summary PageThis episode from June 10, 1997, transcribed by Sandra, deals with Jack being released from jail, temporarily, in order to see if he could help Laura get out of her coma induced by all the pills that Nurse Lynn gave her to keep her from remembering Peter was alive. It is quite a sad episode, especially at the end. They are some really good scenes between Mark and Stephanie in this episode. The previous episode, Jack surprised Jennifer by walking into Laura's hospital room wearing shackles. This episode begins at that point where Jack has just walked into the hospital room. Jennifer is hugging Jack.
Jennifer (smiling) - "Oh, Jack. I can't believe you're really here..."
Abby (runs up to Jack) - "Daddy!"
Jack (lifts up Abby and seats her on top of a table, although he's still wearing handcuffs) - "Hey, sweetheart! I missed you so much!"
Abby - "I missed you too, Daddy. Daddy, what are those?" (pointing to Jack's handcuffs)
Jack (leaning down so he can talk to Abby face to face) - "Oh, these are just for my protection. Don't worry about that."
Mickey asks the police guard in the room if he could take off Jack's handcuffs and leg irons. The guard hesitates, but Mickey says he'll take full responsibility for Jack. So the guard agrees to take off the handcuffs, but not the leg irons.
Jennifer - "Jack, how did you get out?"
Jack (as police is taking off his cuffs) - "Well, we have to thank Mickey for that."
Mickey - "I called the warden. I appealed to him. It was a family emergency, after all."
Jack (his handcuffs are finally off) - "Horton name carries a lot of weight. Come here, you!" (Jack smiles and lifts up Abby to hold her in his arms and says to Abby)
Maggie (hugging Jack) - "Jack, it is SO good to see you!"
Jennifer walks up to Jack, who is still holding Abby, and gives him a big hug holding him very tight - "Thank God you're here, Jack. Now I know mom is going to recover." Scene ends.
Next scene, Jack is still standing near the door, holding Abby in his arms. Jennifer is looking at them lovingly.
Jack (looking at Abby) - "Abby, it is so good to hold you again."
Jennifer (has tears in her eyes and is smiling) - "Uncle Mickey, thank you so much for convincing the judge to allow Jack to have this time with us."
Mickey (smiling) - "Well, you said that you thought that all Laura needed was a little motivation to regain consciousness. I thought Jack could help."
Jennifer (smiling) - "I'm sure he can!"
Abby (looking directly at Jack while he is still holding her in his arms) - "Are you coming home, Daddy?"
Jack (looks sad) - "Umm... not this time sweetheart. I can only stay for a little while."
Abby (sounds sad) - "Why?"
Jack (sounds sad, but is trying to seem happy for Abby's sake) - "Well, I came by to see your grandma. I know that you and your mommy are really worried about her."
Abby - "She can't talk anymore." (Jennifer starts to cry when she hears Abby say this)
Maggie - "Abby, honey, why don't Uncle Mickey and I take you out for some ice cream, if it's alright with your mom."
Jennifer - "Thank you, Maggie."
Jack - "Yes, that sounds like a good idea." (Maggie and Mickey are smiling at Abby)
Abby - "Will you be here when I get back Daddy?"
Jack - "Yes, I will. I promise, okay?" (Jack kisses Abby on the cheek and hands her over to Maggie.)
Maggie leaves the room with Abby. Jack walks over to Jennifer and looks quite sad. He and Jennifer hug each other very tightly. They look so relieved that they can finally hold each other again.
Jennifer (still holding Jack) - "Oh, Jack!"
Jack (still holding Jennifer) - "Jenn, I'm so sorry about Laura."
Jennifer (has her hands on Jack's arms) - "Jack, don't blame yourself again."
Jack (has tears in his eyes, is looking at Jennifer and whispers) - "If she hadn't put so much pressure on herself, trying to prove that Peter wasn't..."
Jennifer (interrupts Jack, with tears in her eyes) - "No. It's not your fault. Anyway, you're here for her now. And that is all that matters." (she tries to smile for Jack)
Jack looks at Jenn with tears in his eyes. He doesn't say anything. He lets go of Jenn and walks over to Laura's bed (or should I say "waddles" since he's still wearing those leg irons - LOL!)
Jack sits down on a chair next to Laura's bed. He gently takes Laura's hand and begins to talk to her quietly.
Jack - "Laura. Laura, it's me, Jack."
Laura (we can hear her thoughts, while she is lying there unconscious) - "Poor Jack. He should be free now. But Kristen had the body in Peter's grave cremated before I could prove it wasn't him. I'm so sorry." (Laura moves her fingers in Jack's hand)
Jack (looks down at Laura's hand and notices she's moving them) - "Jenn. She just squeezed my hand."
Jennifer (runs over to Laura's bedside, leans towards Jack and smiles) - "Maybe she's finally coming out of it." Scene ends.
Next scene. Jack is still holding Laura's hand. He asks Jennifer is Laura has done that before. Jennifer says she has a few times. Jennifer says she thinks that having the family with her is what's helping Laura.
Jack (says very sadly) - "I hate seeing her like this." (he gently lets go of Laura's hand)
Laura (thinking to herself) - "I hate it too! I've gotta come out of this."
Jack (turns around in his chair to look at Jennifer who is standing behind him. He has tears in his eyes.) - "I should be here. All the time. I should be here with you and Abby and Laura."
Jennifer - "Jack, you're here now. Let's make the most of our time together, okay?" (she gently places her hand on Jack's shoulder to comfort him. She also sounds quite sad and on the verge of tears).
Jack looks at Jennifer. He doesn't say anything. Then he turns around and leans close to Laura.
Jack (talking very quietly and sounds like he is trying to keep himself from crying) - "Listen, Laura. I hope you can hear me. But, Jenn needs you. And Abby needs you. And if you want to help me, just come out of it. Please, Laura, just come out of it."
Laura (thinking and sounding like she is crying in her mind) - "Oh, Jack, I'm trying. I'm trying so hard."
Jack looks at Laura and has a lot of tears in his eyes. Scene ends.
Next scene. Jack is still sitting by Laura's bedside talking quietly to her. He is still sounding very sad and has tears in his eyes. Jennifer is standing nearbye and watching Jack speak to Laura.
Jack - "I'm so grateful to you, Laura. For never giving up on me. Fighting for me. For always believing in me. Peter Blake is dead. And we have to accept that."
Laura (getting mad now) - "No, Jack, he's not dead!"
Jack (speaking quietly to Laura, as his eyes fill with tears) - "I'd like nothing more than to believe that Peter Blake is alive. I could be with Jennifer and Abby. It would be like a dream come true. We have to face reality. (pause) See, Laura..... Laura, both of us are trapped right now. I'm in prison. And you're just being held hostage by your own fears. (camera shows Jennifer's face looking sadly at Jack and Laura and crying).. The difference is that you have your family around you. They love you very much. If you could just let them help you, Laura. Just let them release you from this prison in your mind. Just do it, Laura. Please, just do it."
Laura (thinking to herself) - "Oh, Jack! Jack, I'm trying... so .... hard!" (Laura suddenly rises up and sits up in her hospital bed, with her eyes still closed. Jack and Jennifer look shocked. Jennifer says "Oh my God, Mom! Mom!") Scene ends.
Next scene, Jack & Jennifer are both standing looking completely shocked that Laura has suddenly sat herself up.
Nurse Lynn (runs to Laura's bed) - "Is she awake?!"
Jennifer - "I'm not sure. She hasn't opened her eyes!"
Jack (patting Laura's arms and face trying to wake her up) - "Laura, can you hear me? Laura? Laura?" (Laura falls back down on the bed)
Jennifer - "Mom! Oh, I'm sure she was coming out of it, Jack."
Jack is stroking Laura's arms, trying to re-awake her.
Laura (screams in her mind) - "Why can't I wake up?!"
Lynn asks Jennifer if Laura said anything. Jennifer is crying and looks so frustrated saying that Laura looked like she was about to say something.
Jennifer (sounding desperate) - "Jack! Just try again. I just know that you can get her to come out of it."
Police guard arrives at doorway - "Okay! Time's up, Deveraux!"
Jennifer (runs to guard, with tears in her eyes and sounds extremely desperate) - "No! No, please! Just a few more minutes. Okay! I know he'll be able to help my mother. (starting to cry, but trying to keep calm. Jack turns around and walks to where Jennifer is and looks so sad. He has tears in his eyes too) We have so little time together. If you could just give him five more minutes, okay?" Scene ends.
Next scene, Jack is standing next to Jennifer and they are holding each other's arms. They are both facing the police guard.
Jennifer (sounding a bit more calm) - "Please. Just five minutes." The guard agrees. Jack thanks him and the guard leaves.
Jack turns to face Jennifer directly. He puts his hands on her waist and she has her hands on his arms. Then, she puts her hands on his shoulders and he now has his hands on her back.
Jack (sounding very serious) - "Jenn, I still have to go back to prison."
Jennifer (says quietly) - "I don't want to think about that right now. (she smiles with tears in her eyes) Let's just pretend for five minutes that we're together. That we're a family again. (whispers) Just five minutes. Okay?"
She leans over and they both hug each other. Jack is visibly upset and has a lot of tears in his eyes. Nurse Lynn seems embarassed to be there when they obviously want their privacy and she says she's leaving the room. Jennifer turns around and thanks Lynn for being so good to her mother and that they're all grateful to Lynn for everything. Ha! What a laugh, considering Lynn is responsible for Laura being in that coma in the first place. Lynn leaves the room, looking like she feels so worthless for causing so much pain for Jennifer's family.
Jennifer has her head against Jack's shoulder and has her eyes closed. She is gently stroking him. She lifts her head and looks at Jack's face.
Jack (with tears in his eyes) - "Jenn, I don't want you to waste your life waiting for me."
Jennifer (sounds very confident) - "You're gonna be released from prison, Jack."
Jack (sounds very sad) - "When? Ten years? Twenty? Fifty? You've gotta think about your future, Jenn. You've gotta think about Abby's future."
Jennifer looks distraught over what Jack is saying and she starts to cry.
Jennifer - "Our future is with you."
Jack (on the verge of crying) - "Jenn, I want you to find somebody. Somebody who can give you all the love and happiness that you deserve."
Jennifer - "Jack, I can't be happy with anyone but you..."
Jack - "Abby needs a father."
Jennifer (begins to cry) - "Jack, she has a father! She has you! And no one can replace you. Not in her heart or in mine."
Jack (crying) - "Jenn, I... I wanna...."
Jennifer - "No, Jack. Abby and I are connected to you. Forever. (Jack is looking at Jennifer with so much love and sadness in his eyes) And no prison walls are gonna change that. (she whispers) I love you, Jack. I love you so much."
Jack looks at Jenn with complete love for her. Jennifer puts her arms around Jack's neck and they begin to passionately kiss each other. Scene ends.
Next scene, everyone is in the room. Jack is now holding Abby in his arms, looking like he doesn't want to let go of her. The guard says he's sorry, but it's time. Jennifer walks over to Jack and takes Abby from his arms. Jennifer, holding Abby in her arms, looks at Jack and has tears streaming down her cheek. Jack looks at Jenn and Abby and has so much pain and sadness in his eyes. Abby asks when she'll see him again. Jack is about to tell Abby that he thinks it's best if Abby and her "mommy" move on, but Jennifer interrupts Jack and tells Abby that she'll see her Daddy really soon. She is smiling and looking at Jack even though she has so many tears coming out of her eyes. Jack looks overwhelmed with so much sadness. His eyes are also filled with tears. He can't stand to see Jennifer and Abby in so much pain. (This is making me so sad! They all look so upset!) Maggie is watching them and has tears in her eyes. She leaves the room with Mickey who is consoling her. She tells Nurse Lynn who is also crying that it breaks her heart to see a "beautiful family like that torn apart." Lynn says to herself, in her mind, that she can't take seeing this family in so much pain anymore. And that she has to talk to Vivian. Scene ends.
Next scene, Jack, Jennifer and Abby are all standing next to each other, hugging each other while Jennifer is holding Abby in her arms. The guard walks to them and says that he needs to put the handcuffs on Jack. Jack tells Abby to go outside and play and he'll be right out of the room in a minute. Abby leaves. Police starts putting the cuffs on Jack's hands.
Jennifer - "Jack, you cannot abandon your daughter like this. She needs to see you. She needs to talk to you."
Jack (trying to sound strong, but has tears in his eyes) - "I'll call her. I'll write her. I'll keep in touch with her, Jenn. (almost crying) But I want you to promise me that you're not going to visit me in that prison."
Jennifer (looks shocked) - "Jack..."
Jack (interrupts her) - "Jenn, look, you got your whole life ahead of you. I don't want to hold you back. So, please, just do it for me, okay?"
Jennifer (nodding her head to say no) - "I can't! I can't Jack! (almost crying) I love you!"
Jack - "I love you too. I love your forever. That's why this has to be goodbye."
Jennifer begins to really cry when Jack says that. She can't even speak because she can't believe that this is happening. Jack walks out of the room. Laura says in her mind that Jack will be a family with Jenn and Abby again.
Jack is now outside the room and is saying goodbye to Abby. He is kneeling down to look at her directly in her eyes. Then he hugs her.
Abby (sadly) - "Please don't go, Daddy."
Jack (looking at Abby) - "I have to, sweetheart. But remember -- you'll always be in my heart, okay?" (he gives her a kiss on the cheek)
Jennifer looks at Jack with so much sadness and pain in her eyes and says she loves him. Jack says he loves her too. The police then takes him away. Jennifer is holding Abby in her arms, stroking Abby's hair and is looking at Jack walking away with tears streaming down her face. The scene ends. That's the last scene of the episode.
