FADE IN

MONTAGE - NETWORK NEWS FOOTAGE
A distinguished middle class woman displays her full length fur for garage sale. A displaced homemakers' and battered wives' shelter. Women with small children live on the street. Shivering, abandoned purebred dogs. Empty houses. Etc.

				SAM (v.o.)

		In the late '80s, the president's smooth 

		economic plans sputtered and failed. The 

		market fell in places like Houston's oil 

		district. Fathers lost jobs. Mothers sold 

		their furniture for food and rent. Dignity 

		waned as parents, who could no longer protect 

		and provide for their families, lost their 

		homes to public auctions. With mortgages 

		they couldn't meet, some just packed up and 

		drove away.

				SAM (v.o. continues)

		Many of us gage our personal identities 

		by how others perceive us and by what we 

		possess. I'd always known others believed 

		that, but not me. With my parents' guidance, 

		I've always known Sam Beckett ...until now.

INT. BECKSTON MASTER BEDROOM - LATER
SAM and LADONNA under the bed covers. Embracing. Asleep. LUZ SITS at the foot of their bed, staring at them. LaDonna wakes and smiles at her.

				LADONNA

		Mornin', baby.


				SAM & LUZ

			(simultaneously)

		Morning.

				LADONNA

		You'd better get goin'. I don't want to 

		hear any talk about Deb writin' you up for 

		bein' late.

INT. OFFICE LAB - DAY
At their terminals, SAM and KAZ check pages and pages of printouts.

				KAZ

			(pleading)

		...but it's the Jetties.

			(in ecstasy)

		Night fishing along the edge of the ship 

		channel.


				SAM

		Now's not a good time.


				KAZ

		It never is; besides, me and Rink are 

		psyched!


				SAM

			(laughing)

		You are such a big kid.


				KAZ

			(faking sadness)

		Yeah, that's why Trina left me.

				ALVAREZ

		Gentlemen, I'm sorry but you're going to 

		have scratch and redo the entire run.


				KAZ

		What?! Why?!


				ALVAREZ

		We have forty more wells shutting down.


				KAZ

		Why didn't you tell us sooner?


				ALVAREZ

		I just found out myself.


				SAM

			(contemptuously)

		"Just".

				SAM (continues)

			(angry)

		"Just"?! I don't believe this!

				KAZ

			(calm, professional)

		Which wells and when do they go down?

			(surreptiously to Sam)

		Hey, I'm the hot one. Cool off.

				KAZ (continues)

			(to Sam)

		Are you all right?


				SAM

		I'm fine.


				ALVAREZ

		Are you?


				OBSERVER

		Yeah?

				KAZ

		These them?

				ALVAREZ

		Yes, well, drop everything else because I 

		need your first run ASAP.


				SAM

			(with Texas accent that 

					stays with him)

		Well, "ASAP" I need you to leave us alone 

		and stop tryin' to separate me from my job 

		AND my wife.


				OBSERVER

		What's with the drawl, Sam?

				ALVAREZ

		Henry, you don't want to do this.


				SAM

		Don't tell me what I want to do! I'm in 

		charge of my life, not you!

				SAM (continues)

		Stay away from LaDonna and the kids.

				OBSERVER

		Gooshie!

				KAZ

		You keep coming down on us...him. He's got 

		enough problems without that.


				ALVAREZ

		We've all got problems. Don't you think I 

		hear the gossip about my brother-in-law AND 

		his best friend still being here when others 

		are still flying out the door?


				KAZ

		That makes you top "man" around---.

				ALVAREZ

			(exasperated)

		The "bottom line" is they want more cuts. 

		First staff, then health and life benefits.


				KAZ

		You're doing all right.


				ALVAREZ

			(plain, direct, ironic)

		Am I? I'm overworked and overdue for a 

		raise or two myself. Plus, I know where 

		the unemployment office is, too.

				KAZ

		How about I buy you lunch, Boss?


				ALVAREZ

			(lighter, joking)

		Oooo, brown nosing. That could make the 

		others jealous.


				KAZ

			(staring into her eyes)

		I like brown noses.

				ALVAREZ

		I...I've already got a lunch date I can't 

		miss, maybe another time?


				KAZ

			(tightly)

		"Another time". I understand.

Then, he suddenly cranes his neck to take one last look at her as she leaves. After she's gone, he repeatedly pounds his fist into a file cabinet.

EXT. HIGH SCHOOL BALL FIELD - DAY
BALL PLAYERS run patterns as the COACH observes. RINK is very good, very aggressive. Too aggressive as he and another boy collide. They part, skirmish, collide again. FIGHT. The Coach and other Players pull them apart.

Rink doesn't like the Coach's interference and in his rage strikes and misses because of the Coach's agility. He gives the boy the thumb to get out now. With his anger barely under control, RINK EXITS.

INT. BECKSTON HOUSE - SAME TIME
LADONNA places ANOTHER PAWN TICKET and MONEY on the dresser beside a FRAMED FOOD STAMP WITH A CIRCLE AND BAR ACROSS IT like a "no smoking" sign. She turns to exit. PHONE RINGS. She returns and answers.

				LADONNA

		Geez, Deb, I'm just leav---.

			(beat)

		Who?

			(beat)

		Oh!. How are you?

			(beat)

		What? Repeat that, please?

			(beat, beat)

		Is she all right?

			(beat)

		It...it won't happen again.

			(beat, beat)

		I know.

			(beat)

		I know. That's understandable. I'll 

		tell him.

			(beat)

		Yes! I'll make sure and tell him.

EXT. HOUSTON ICE HOUSE EATERY "MAMIE LEE'S" - LUNCHTIME
A SIGN: "NO PROFANITY PLEASE". An OVERHEAD FAN turns slowly as ICE SLIVERS ARE CHIPPED FROM A BLOCK while VARIOUS PEOPLE sitting at tables eat, play dominoes, read the HOUSTON CHRONICLE.

ALVAREZ and LADONNA are in mid-meal, LaDonna picks at her food. At a distance, SAM STANDS WATCHING THEM. He strides towards them but stops abruptly when realizes his hands are shaking and flexing involuntarily. With a quick look back at the women, he EXITS RUNNING LIKE A MAN CHASED BY DEMONS.

THE OBSERVER ENTERS and looks around.

				OBSERVER

		Ah, I haven't seen an ice house since I 

		transferred to Edwards'.

			(to unseen speaker)

		What? Oh, yeah.

			(looks around more thoroughly)

		Gooshie! You guys screwed up, Sam's not 

		here!

			(to self)

		Swiss cheese computer.

			(beat, a piping whine from 

					his Handlink)

		Well, excuse me, Ziggy the Perfect.

			(listening, exasperated)

		Then, please do that and let me know when 

		you lock in the right coordinates.

			(looking at LaDonna and Alvarez)

		In the meanwhile, I'll just make do.

				LADONNA

		Yes, but he doesn't think anyone knows.


				ALVAREZ

		Well, I certainly didn't; especially, 

		since he's always so nasty to me.

			(deadpan)

		I guess, it's nice to know men become 

		more mature as they get older, huhn?

				LADONNA

		Kaz is really a sweet guy.

				LADONNA (continues)

		Rink and Alison---.


				ALVAREZ

		With the red hair?


				LADONNA

			(nods)

		---went to a movie last night.


				OBSERVER

		Drive In?


				ALVAREZ

		And?


				LADONNA

		They argued about...nothin'. D.A., Rink 

		grabbed her and held her wrists so tight 

		there's fingermarks on them.


				ALVAREZ

		He told you this?


				LADONNA

		No, her mother called.

			(beat)

		I saw the girl myself on my way here.


				ALVAREZ

			(hushed)

		What're you going to do?


				LADONNA

		I don't know.


				ALVAREZ

		You have to DO something.


				OBSERVER

		Here. Here.


				LADONNA

		What?


				ALVAREZ

		DO anything. Figure something out before---.


				LADONNA

		I can't think anymore and my feelings are 

		all over the place!


				ALVAREZ

		Those feelings've given me great advice 

		many times. Listen to them. What do they 

		tell you?


				OBSERVER

		LEAVE HIM!


				LADONNA

			(slight, self-conscious laugh)

		If he heard us right now...he'd call it 

		betrayal. God, my head's splittin'.

				ALVAREZ

		The men I work with always say, "Take a 

		pill".


				LADONNA

			(exhausted)

		I'm so tired. I can't keep holdin' it all 

		together.


				ALVAREZ

		Like your mother's still doing. Don't think 

		the kids can't feel the pain you're both in. 

		Do what you have to do. Let go. Leave him. 

		It'll save lives and souls, when you do.

				ALVAREZ (continues)

		Whatever you need, I'll be there.

				LADONNA

		I'll be fine, besides, he's madder at you 

		than me.

				OBSERVER

		Don't worry, my lovely Jalapena. Sam'll 

		take good care of her. Gooshie!

				OBSERVER

		Boy, are you getting hard to find!


				SAM

			(still has accent)

		Oh, hi, Al.


				OBSERVER

		"Oh, hi, Al"? Lives hang in the balance, 

		the whole project's about to crash and 

		lose you in time forever, and that's all 

		you can say?

				SAM

		How's Tina?


				OBSERVER

		You're supposed to be solving problems and 

		you ask that? What are you doing here?


				SAM

		When any of us got angry, Mom and Dad would 

		send us out to be alone in the fresh air. 

		Not a fun thing in the dead of winter in 

		Indiana. I was runnin' when I got her. Now, 

		I'm feelin' like me, again.

				OBSERVER

		Where'd you get the scratch?


				SAM

		I ran into a low tree branch.


				OBSERVER

		Are you sure?


				SAM

		"Am I sure"?

				SAM (continues)

			(tired of repeating it)

		I didn't mean to hit her. It was an 

		accide---!

				OBSERVER

		But, she didn't "accidently" hit you.


				SAM

		She made me mad---.

				OBSERVER

		"Made"?

				SAM

		I was havin' some trouble, Al. I was doing 

		the total opposite of what I wanted; but, 

		my head's as clear as crystal now.


				OBSERVER

		Are you sure?


				SAM

		Yes! LaDonna'll be fine. I know it.

An ORDERLY, RONNIE (tough 20s woman, inquisitive), cleans up the substantial mess from the emergency procedures (BLOOD, NEEDLES, PAPER, CLOTH, etc.), looks at the patient's MEDICAL CHART.

				TOM

			(to Ronnie)

		When did orderlies become doctors?

			(checks the time)

		Why can't I ever get outta here on time?

				RONNIE

			(to patient)

		You didn't have a chance, did yah? Lucky.


				TOM

		"Lucky"?


				RONNIE

		Same thing happened to my si...this person 

		I knew. Busy parking parking garage, you'd 

		think somebody'd help her, or, at least, 

		spot her sooner.


				TOM

			(suspicious)

		You said, "knew".


				RONNIE

		She's dead.

				RONNIE (continues)

		I bet they won't even take care of her.

				TOM

		An excellent insurance company.


				RONNIE

		But, is this particular policy still good?

				TOM

		I'll never get outta here.


				RONNIE

		You want to hear something really sick?


				TOM

		Do I have a choice?


				RONNIE

		My cousin told me just Monday they'd laid 

		off some of the security out there.

FADE OUT

---

Quantum Leap: "Rule of Thumb", Teaser & Act One
Quantum Leap: "Rule of Thumb", Act Two
Quantum Leap: "Rule of Thumb", Act Four

Entire website or content Copyright 1988-2006 Neale Sourna
Trademarks belong to their respective owners. All rights reserved.
PIE: Perception Is Everything(TM)
"Doing for the mind, what the body shouldn't."--NS
Email us at Contact Us