JOSIE’S HOSPITAL ROOM - NIGHT

Lyndsay walks in to Josie’s room, where Josie lies silently, a monotonous beeping sounding off as if full of forthcoming doom.

She sits down at Josie’s side, watching the girl breathe in and out in her seemingly endless slumber. "Josie, what the Hell is going on? What were you thinking?"

Lightly caressing Josie’s face, Lyndsay struggles to keep a single tear from escaping her saddened eyes, and dropping to Josie’s face.

As if coincidental, the beeping sound suddenly speeds up. Lyndsay springs to her feet in alert. She watches in horror as Josie, seemingly peaceful yet helpless, slips from the clutches of God and fades from existence.

The beeping is now a solid tone. Some doctors rush into the room and start to work on her. Lyndsay can only back away slowly, her hand over her mouth. Lyndsay can only here the command to clear, as a doctor slaps Josie’s chest with electricity. A surge of energy seems to buzz the room, as the command comes again.

Nothing, the steady tone crashes through Lyndsay, as another surge of energy is blasted through Josie’s body.

After what seems like mortifying eternity, one of the doctors turns off the cardiac monitor.

"Nurse Miller, please call it."

A somber woman’s voice seems to call casually, "Time of death, 7:22 pm."

ROLL OPENING CREDITS, "The Real Slim Shady" Eminem

Starring:

Nicholas Brendon as Alex Harrison

Jonathon Taylor Thomas as Taylor Brookdale

Jennifer Love Hewitt as Lyndsay Schofield

Britney Spears as Candice Rogers

Gillian Anderson as Kortni Hope

Christina Aguilera as Amanda Friedman

Also in this Episode:

Katie Holmes as Josie Lische

Sarah Michelle Gellar as Brandi Vandal

"What do you mean! She can’t be dead!" Lyndsay screams, as she charges the doctor in a fury of despair and insanity.

"Miss, please..."

"YOU BAS**RD! KEEP WORKING!" Lyndsay screams, weeping in absolute terror, slapping the doctor with an unimaginable rage. "DON’T STOP YOU SON OF A B*TCH! DON’T STOP!"

"Miss, she died from severe brain damage, nothing can be done..."

"B*LLSH*T! YOU’RE A DAMNED DOCTOR! THERE HAS TO BE MORE YOU CAN DO! YOU CAN’T JUST LET GO!"

Lyndsay collapses, her face buried deep within the shadows of her protective hands, her sobs loud and gut wrenching.

"There has to be more you can do!"

HOSPITAL LOBBY - NIGHT

Lyndsay is now full of anger, marching vindictively towards Amanda, a couple of police officers tagging close behind. Amanda comes into view, and immediately, Lyndsay’s despise for the girl who killed her best friend kicks in.

"There she is! There’s that murderer that killed Josie! Amanda Friedman!" Lyndsay points angrily.

Alex stands up, trying to protest this charade, unbelieving to the fact that Amanda is going to be arrested.

"What?! She did it in self-defense, you can’t do this to her!"

The police officers seem to ignore Alex’s pleas as they roughly begin to handcuff Amanda, who is in complete shock and dismay.

"I...I can’t believe this," Amanda mutters, her eyes wide with angst. She turns to Alex, her eyes simply pleading for him to help.

Lyndsay just glares at Amanda viciously. "You’re going to pay, you murderer! You blood-thirsty killer!"

Tears do not hesitate to come from Amanda’s eyes as she bows her head in shame, the officers escorting her from the building. Alex can only look on in awe.

After she is out of sight, Alex turns angrily to Lyndsay, "What is wrong with you? Are you out of your mind?"

"Go to Hell!" Lyndsay snaps. "This is all your fault! If you hadn’t hit Josie in the first place..."

"Don’t try to turn this into my fault!" Alex screams. "Josie tried to kill us today! Your boyfriend’s life is hanging in the balance as we speak! Amanda saved our lives, Lyndsay! She saved our lives!"

"And she killed Josie!" Lyndsay retaliates, "Do you understand this? Josie is dead! Gone! Forever! And that is not something that I am ready to forgive and forget about!"

"I’m not asking you to forgive and forget! I am asking you to act rationally here! This is crazy for all of us and-"

"Rationally? You want rationally? Let me tell you my definition of rationally: me, suing that murderer for everything she’s got, and making her life a living Hell!"

Lyndsay stomps off, leaving Alex frustrated and dazzled. Candice had gone back to L.A., so there is no one he can really hold on to. He is alone, again. The feeling is all too familiar as Alex slumps down into a seat. In a way, he is relieved. Josie is dead. For good this time, and she can't hurt him anymore. But worry's painful sword still dwells in Alex's gut as a word about Taylor lacks its arrival.

DOWNTOWN LA, CALIFORNIA - THE NEXT DAY

Kortni is driving down a crowded freeway, a cloud of haze hovering malignantly over the sea of cars that maneuver their way through the traffic of the 405 Freeway.

Brandi sits silently at Kortni’s side, twiddling her thumbs, hoping that they won’t arrive at Alex’s dorm. She’s not ready to face him. She knows he will react negatively. The last time Alex saw Brandi, he shot her. Hundreds of thoughts swindle through Brandi’s mind.

Kortni, on the other hand, focuses solely on the valley of cars that never seem to move. The silence is broken by the sound of a cell phone ringing. Kortni answers. "Kortni Hope."

Devin is on the other end, his voice greatly confused and distraught, almost saddened: "It’s Jeff...someone’s sent me pictures!"

"What?" Kornti says, astounded, her mouth nearly dropping to the floor.

"Pictures of him beaten, and...and bloody..."

"Oh Good God..." Kortni exclaims. "Devin, I want you to try to calm down, and stay put. We will be there in a few hours, alright?"

"Ok." Devin says, his voice dropping intensity as he tries to relax, though the pictures have disturbed significantly.

Kortni hangs up and looks at Brandi.

"What is it?"Brandi says, concerned.

"Devin got pictures on his doorstep. They’re all of Jeff, beaten and tied up."

Brandi places her hand over her shocked mouth.

Kortni continues, "Looks like we’re taking a detour to San Diego."

"Kortni, wait!" Brandi calls. She hesitates, meeting Kortni’s stare. "There’s something I haven’t told you. I’ve...I’ve lied to you."

"I knew it. You lying little schemer..." Kortni says, a disgusted smirk crawling upon her face, "The clues just didn’t fit. They didn’t fall into place. What is it now?"

"I know who paid me to kill the others...I know who is probably behind the kidnapping."

"Who?" Kortni says, to anxious to discover Brandi’s secret then scolding her for holding back.

Brandi takes a deep breathe.

ROLL CLOSING CREDITS

Next week, in Episode 30 of "Friends and Foes":