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| REACHING OUT BY TIMA |
CHAPTER 4 |
PREVIOUSLY:
Todd follows a path of hallways until he finds her room number. As he stands outside the doorway, he takes several deep breaths. He knows that he's about to fall under her spell again. He always does whenever he's in the same room with her.
As Todd enters the doorway to her room, his heart leaps at seeing her again, and falls at the sight of the wheelchair she's sitting in, now knowing why she needed rehabilitation.]
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chapter 4:
[Tea was surprised to hear that her old friend, Andrew Carpenter, had learned of her situation, discovered where she was and has come to visit her. As she looks up and finds her ex-husband is instead the man that fills her doorway, she immediately understands.]
Tea: It's odd, but you don't look much like an Andrew Carpenter. You look more like a Todd Manning.
Todd: Huh? What? Oh, right, yeah. It was just a little lie.
Tea: Why pick Andrew's identity to steal? Why not use someone you like?
Todd: I don't like anyone.
Tea: That's right. How could I forget that?
Todd: So, uh, you're okay, right? You're talking and smiling and stuff. I guess I'll just go ahead and leave since you probably don't want me around, anyway.
[Todd turns and steps away from her doorway. He waits a few seconds, but doesn't receive the response he had been expecting. In fact, he doesn't receive any response at all. He steps back into the doorway.]
Todd: You're not even gonna try to stop me?
Tea: Since when have I ever had any say in when you come into my life, or when you leave, huh?
Todd: Right. So, are you planning on calling security on me for posing as a sanctimonious piece of...
Tea (interrupting him): Of course not, Todd. I'm glad you came. I was beginning to think that you weren't going to.
Todd: I just found out.
Tea: You were on vacation for the last few weeks?
Todd: No. I was in Llanview, where I've been for a while now.
Tea: I know. That's why I called you there.
Todd: When did you call?
Tea: After the...
[Tea pauses, still uncomfortable speaking about the plane crash.]
Todd: After the what?
Tea: The accident.
Todd: The plane crash?
Tea: Yeah, after that. So, you got my message that long ago and it took you until now to respond? You could have saved yourself the trouble of coming all this way and just sent me a card.
[Tea manually turns her wheelchair to face away from him and towards a small window.]
Todd: Delgado...
[Tea feels her heart expand, as it always does, when she hears his voice speak her last name in that way that only he can...as if it were the sweetest term of endearment.]
Todd: I didn't get any message. I was about to start yelling at you for keeping me in the dark.
[Tea turns her wheelchair in his direction again.]
Tea: I left you a message. Actually, I left you two messages. Your stupid machine cut me off during my first one.
Todd: I never got any messages.
Tea: Maybe there's something wrong with your machine.
Todd: My machine's fine. Someone else just got to your message before I did, I guess.
Tea: Who would do that? I just wanted you to know that I was okay, in case you heard that I had been on that flight. I didn't want you to worry. How petty is your girlfriend?
Todd: Girlfriend?
Tea: I can't imagine anyone else who would be so insecure that they would erase my messages. I wasn't begging you to come and hold my hand, or anything. I just...
Todd: You just what? Why did you call me if you didn't want me to come here?
Tea: I was scared. I was hurting. I just...
Todd: What?
Tea: I thought about you and I wanted to call you. That's all.
[Todd finally walks further into the room and sits down on the edge of her bed.]
Todd: I heard about...
Tea: Obviously, you heard I was here, but how? I haven't gotten around to calling anyone in Llanview yet.
Todd: Except me.
Tea: Except you.
Todd: Briggs told me you were on the list of passengers and then he did some digging and told me you were here. He shoved me on the plane and made me come here.
Tea: How long ago did you find out?
Todd: Why would that matter?
Tea: I'm just curious.
Todd (changing the subject): So, uh, why are you here anyway?
Tea (gesturing to her wheelchair): By the look on your face when you first saw me, I thought you had figured that out.
Todd: Well, yeah. It's a rehabilitation type place, you're in that thing, I'm not a complete idiot, I kind of figured... I meant, why aren't you in New York? That's where you live now, right?
Tea: You really have done some checking.
Todd: It's Briggs. I think he has a crush on you.
Tea: And, he sent you, because...?
Todd: It's like that play, Cyrano Burt Bacharach.
[Tea laughs. Todd smiles slightly, enjoying her laughter.]
Todd: Seriously, they have tons of doctors in New York, right? They probably have a few good ones.
Tea: I'm fine right here.
Todd: I know that look. It means that you're not fine, but you're going to be stubborn and pretend that you are.
Tea: I really am fine. There's no reason for me to go back to New York.
Todd: I heard about that, Tea...about your grandmother. I assume that was who the other Delgado was, anyway.
Tea: It was...
[Todd's heart breaks, just like he knew it would, as he watches her heartbreak clearly evident on her face.]
Todd: So...uh...
Tea: So, you came, you saw me, you did your good deed...
Todd: Good deed? I'm Todd Manning, remember? Your brain must have really gotten shook up.
Tea: Why are you here?
Todd: I told you...
Tea: Right, Briggs forced you onto that plane.
Todd: He did.
Tea: Commercial or private?
Todd: What?
Tea: Did you bring your private jet?
Todd: Why would that matter?
Tea: Fine. You didn't want to come, but you were forced to. I feel so special now. Thank you for coming and letting me know that I don't matter to you. You're job here is complete. You can go back home, back to whatever tall, blond bimbo erased my messages.
Todd: What makes you think she's blond?
Tea: Isn't she? We both know that's your type.
Todd: Okay, what makes you think she's tall?
Tea: Seriously, Todd, obviously this trip won't help your domestic situation. You should just go back and buy your girlfriend something expensive so she'll forgive you for flying all this way to see your ex-whatever.
Todd: Wife.
[They both share an uncomfortable, knowing glance.]
Todd: What makes you think she's the type that forgives anything if given expensive gifts?
[Tea sighs loudly and lowers her head. Todd can tell that she's exhausted. He wonders how much sleep she's gotten since the plane crash.]
Todd: My domestic situation is...
Tea: Complicated? It's always been complicated.
Todd: Yeah, because I never knew if you were coming or going. I still don't.
Tea: I'm neither. I'm not in your life so I can't leave it and I'm certainly not interested in trying to barge into anyone else's territory.
Todd: I'm no one's territory.
Tea: You're single?
Todd: I'm not married.
Tea: Clearly, you're seeing someone.
Todd: Maybe it's clear to you...
Tea: Is it clear to your girlfriend?
[Todd doesn't respond. He lies back on her bed and closes his eyes.]
Tea: Were you planning on sleeping here tonight?
[Todd opens his eyes, tilts his head and looks at her.]
Todd: Briggs got me some fancy place to stay at. You want to come? It's probably better than this place.
Tea: I need this place.
Todd: You don't need to be surrounded by boring walls and disgusting smells.
Tea: This isn't a retreat, you know? I'm here for a reason.
Todd: How bad is it?
Tea: I'll manage.
Todd: So, it's worse than the last time you got all banged up?
Tea: Apparently, I'm not as good at falling out of the sky as I am at falling out of windows.
Todd: So, how long do you have to be in a place like this?
Tea: I don't know exactly. It depends.
Todd: On what?
Tea: On how well my therapy goes.
Todd: And, you can't do this therapy in New York...or, maybe Llanview?
Tea: Do you want me to come back to Llanview?
Todd: I wouldn't try to stop you.
Tea: Where would I live if I moved back to Llanview?
Todd: Wherever you wanted to. I guess I could put you up for a while, if you needed.
Tea: And, how would your insanely jealous girlfriend react to my presence?
Todd: We broke up.
Tea: You and Blair broke up? Again?
Todd: Did I say anything about Blair?
Tea: You didn't have to. Is it really over this time?
Todd: As far as I'm concerned, yeah.
Tea: What about as far as she's concerned?
Todd: Her concerns are no longer any of my concern.
Tea: So, the two of you are on another break and you enjoyed using me on the last one so much you thought you'd come and use me again on this one? Is that it?
Todd: Is that how you think of our special time together? You wound me, Tea.
Tea: Sometimes I'd like to.
[Todd jumps off the bed.]
Todd: Let's get out of here.
Tea: I need to be here.
Todd: I'm just suggesting a walk or, in your case, a roll.
[Tea smiles at him, surprised that he seems to be handling this better than she would have expected.]
Tea: They do have a beautiful courtyard here, that I could show you.
Todd: Do they have someplace that isn't beautiful?
Tea: So, you still have an aversion to beautiful things?
Todd: Not all beautiful things.
Tea: Really? What beautiful things do you enjoy?
Todd: The ones that have dark hair, an in-your-face attitude, and the ability to stomach me.
[Todd steps behind Tea and slowly pushes the wheelchair carrying his beautiful, smiling ex-wife as she directs him toward the courtyard.]
to be continued...
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