A New Pretender
Part 1
Open to hear Jarod's
computer alerting him to the fact that he has e-mail. The screen reads as
follows:
"Refuge.
More secrets about your past. Ticket in the mail. Sydney. PS. Don't get in
touch just now. Too dangerous."
Cut to Sydney's
office where we can see him working on a computer. A message comes up alerting
him to the new message that he, too, has just receive. The screen reads as
follows:
"Refuge. I
have to meet you. Ticket in the mail. Jarod. PS. Don't get in touch right now.
Too busy"
We see Jarod
at an airport with a ticket in his hand and a puzzled expression on his face.
He looks down, reads notes on a piece of paper and follows a sign which
directs him to a taxi rank. Panning back, we see another sign, reading
"Welcome to Australia". At the taxi rank we see him enter a cab and
give directions to the driver (we cannot hear where he is going).
As the taxi
drives away, we see a girl in her early thirties, with dark brown hair and
brown eyes. She looks down at a photo in her hand and follows the taxi with her
eyes before giving a satisfied nod. She tears the photo in two and, dropping
the two halves onto the ground, gets into another taxi which appears to have
been waiting for her because it takes off without us having noticed her saying
anything. We zoom in on the photo, which turns out to be one of Jarod sitting
at a table, obviously in the middle of a SIM. Along the bottom of the photo are
the words "For Centre Use Only."
The Next Day.
We see Sydney in exactly
the same situation. Same expressions, same sign, same taxi and same girl except
that this time she stays well away from the taxi rank and, instead of also
getting into a taxi, she actually gets into a car and drives off.
The same day,
Jarod's hotel room.
We see Jarod in his room
with a package in his hands. He opens it eagerly but, in his eagerness,
drops it
onto the floor. A photo falls out. It is that of Margaret, his mother. Jarod
sits, shocked, before eagerly scooping the package up off the floor and dumping
its contents on his bed.
That evening
Jarod is arriving at his
new job as a night watchman at a factory. Jarod is introduced by his
supervisor, David, to Michael, his co-worker.
David: [mock
seriously] Guys, I want to know if anyone so much as dreams about walking into
this place, got it?!
Jarod:
[confused] Are we night watchmen or psychics?
David:
[laughing but still serious] She never said that you were amusing as well.
David leaves,
yawning widely.
Michael:
First thing's first. Let's have a drink.
Jarod:
[worried] Shouldn't we look around and check first?
Michael:
[laughing] Calm down mate. We've got all night...
In Sydney's hotel
room
Sydney: [aloud] Well, if Jarod didn't send me here, then who on earth did?
Sydney's
mobile phone rings
Sydney: This
is Sydney
Miss Parker:
[sharply] Syd, I just got your message. What in hell is going on?
Sydney:
[softly] I wish I knew...
Miss Parker:
What do you mean? I get a message saying that you've heard from Jarod, that he
asked you to come wherever...that reminds me, where are you, exactly?
Sydney:
[calmly confident that for the first time in her life, Miss Parker is actually
going to feel something, if only shock] Australia!
Miss Parker:
[who has nearly fallen off her chair, which we can tell from the strained tone
in her voice] Australia???
Sydney:
[patiently] Yes, you know. The country where kangaroos and koala bears come
from...You do know what a kangaroo is, don't you Parker?
Miss Parker:
[sarcastically] Oh, ha ha! [rapidly recovering from her shock] So have you
located Boy Wonder yet, or are you training these kangaroos of yours to become
Pretenders too?
Sydney:
[ignoring what he rightly perceives to be a rhetorical question] Actually,
Jarod wasn't the one who sent me here at all...
Miss Parker:
What!!!
Sydney: No.
So that means he could be anywhere....
Miss Parker:
[following his train of thought] Even here...
Somewhere else, not
far away actually
Michael: So what
do want to do now?
Jarod:
Well, I haven't seen any of your beaches yet and I've heard they're pretty
famous.
Michael:
OK, let's go...
In a car, driving
along a coast road
Michael: [shouting above
the noise of his convertible] So, what do you reckon?
Jarod: [as
the car pulls into a side street] It's beautiful! [indicating the calm waters
of the bay] Is that where people surf?
Michael: Dave
was right, you are funny. [They walk from the car down onto the sand] No mate,
you wouldn't even get a board moving out there without a sail attached. Hey,
there's Kat [spotting a dark-haired girl sitting on the sand with her back to
the camera]. Come on over and be introduced! Hey, Kat!!
As she turns,
we see that it is the girl from the airport but, looking at Jarod, we realise
that he does not appear to recognise her.
Katrina:
Michael, hi. Come down to catch some rays? [her voice dripping with sarcasm] That's
so unlike you!!!
Michael:
[grinning] Very funny. Meet a friend of mine. Jarod, this is Katrina McCarthy,
Kat, this is a new workmate, Jarod Torche. He's keeping me safe on the night
shift. [We see that Jarod is somewhat attracted to this new female
acquaintance]
Katrina:
[laughing] You mean, he keeps his eyes open while you take a break that lasts
all night! I don't know how Dave hasn't cottoned onto you yet. Maybe I should
slip a hint to him when I see him tonight! [We see Jarod's face fall slightly
at this, but neither Katrina or Michael seem to notice] We're discussing
employee prospects at the board get-together.
Michael:
[turning to Jarod] This is the person you have to grovel to if you want a
raise. She's good friends with the boss's wife and has a permanent place on the
board. [Jarod looks immensely relieved]
Katrina:
[brightly] I was just about to head home. Want to come? It's actually tidy
right now!
Michael:
[laughing] When isn't it? You're about the tidiest person I know!!
The three of
them head up the street and go into a house about fifty metres from the beach.
Katrina pours them drinks and they laugh and joke around on the patio at the
rear of the house, which looks out onto a small inground pool. After what we
assume to be several hours of conversation and laughing Katrina begins to look
a little tired and Michael suggests they leave. Katrina goes out with them and
we see that his car is parked just outside her house. They both get into the
car and Katrina goes back inside.
Sydney's room
[at a different hotel from Jarod's]
Sydney has received a package in the mail. Opening it, he finds it contains
photos of him and his family, shortly before they were sent to concentration
camp. There is also one of Sydney and Jacob just prior to the accident. There
are standing with their arms around each other and grinning at the camera.
In Michael's
car
They drive to Jarod's
hotel and Jarod, who wants to know more about this person in whom he's becoming
very interested, invites Michael in. They sit down on a couch in one of the
three rooms - bedroom, sitting room and bathroom - that constitute Jarod's
apartment and pour themselves drinks from bottles sitting on the table.
Jarod:
[attempting to speak casually] So, how do you know Katrina?
Michael: Who?
Oh, sorry, it's just that it's been so long since I heard anyone refer to her
as Kat, except in introductions, that I've forgotten what it sounds like. We
went to school together and we've been friends for years.
Jarod: Does
she live on her own?
Michael:
[who's beginning to realise that Jarod is vaguely interested in Katrina] Yeah,
her parents were killed about six years ago, when she was 27. Right now, she's
battling cancer, which is why she looked so tired. Before that she was...actually,
I don't know exactly what she did. She spent a few years in the US, a few in
Europe. I think she works in various Australian embassies around the world
giving out visas and stuff, but I'm not sure. Anyway, now she just runs around
doing what she can for people, like their washing and stuff. Work that doesn't
have a definite deadline, in case she gets sick and can't finish it. [looking
at his watch] Look mate, I'm sorry but I've got to go. I've got to pick up the
kids from school [we see a clock in the background - its 3:30pm]. Anyway, I'll
see you at work tonight. Bye.
Jarod waits
until he drives away and then gets his keys and gets into a lift. We see it
going down to the basement.
Katrina's
House.
She is curled up in front
of the television. If possible, she looks worse than she did before. When the
doorbell rings, she heaves a huge sigh before turning the t.v. off and going to
the door. Looking through the security hole, we see Jarod standing awkwardly on
the doorstep. Katrina straightens up, forces a smile and opens the door.
Katrina:
[brightly] Hi! Jarod, isn't it?
Jarod: Yeah,
sorry to disturb you but I seem to have left my wallet here. Can I come in?
Katrina:
Sure. [lets him in and then shuts the door] This way.
They come
into the room where Katrina had been watching t.v. and we see Jarod's wallet
lying on the table.
Katrina:
[laughing] I wondered if you were coming back for it. Can I get you a drink?
Jarod:
[slowly] Well, I only came to get my wallet [he can't resist] but, sure. OK
Katrina goes
to the kitchen brings over a tray with a can of Dr Pepper and one of Diet Coke,
as well as two glasses
Katrina:
Here, pick.
Jarod:
[taking the Dr Pepper] How did you guess?
Katrina:
[smiling] I didn't have much choice. It's all I've got. Michael loves Dr Pepper
too. I think all his friends have stocks of it in their fridges. I personally
can't stand the stuff, but there you go...
Jarod:
[smiling back] Lucky I like it then.
Katrina: Oh, it's
not far to the fridge [but in her present state of agony we see that she thinks
it would be a very long way indeed] and I could have swapped it for something
else.
Sydney's
hotel room
Sydney: [on the cordless
phone in his room] Parker, I still have no idea who sent that mail. Has Broots
run a trace yet?
Miss Parker:
[impatiently] Three, but they’re all going through about thirty stations,
including mine, Raines' and Broots'. It'll take hours to work it out properly
and even then it could be from a library or a school!
Sydney:
[worriedly] I think you guys should get here as soon as possible. Jarod’s had
something to do with this, I can just feel it!!
Katrina's
house about an hour later
Jarod is going down the
hall when he hears a thud from behind him. He spins around and races back to
the room he had just left, only to find Katrina lying, unconscious, on the
floor. He checks that she is breathing and tries to make her more comfortable
before picking up the phone and calling the paramedics.
Outside
Katrina's house, about a quarter of an hour later.
A stretcher is being
lifted out of the house and down the stairs, with Katrina on it and Jarod
walking beside her. He locks the house and puts the key into his pocket, before
getting into the ambulance, beside the driver.
At the
hospital
Katrina is being settled
into a bed by two of the nurses who seem to know her very well. They tease her
as she settles against the pillows.
Julia:
[laughing] So, bored at home again huh?
Michelle:
[smiling] Or was it just that you missed our smiling faces?
Katrina:
[smiling back] Oh, both, naturally! Actually, I just missed the taste of the
wonderfully nutritious and tasty stuff that they call hospital food. It was a
toss up between that and plane food and, well, this was just so much more
effective way of gaining entry...
Her teasing
comments are interrupted by a burst of coughing and the nurse grabs a bowl
which she holds under Katrina's chin. A dribble of blood appears.
Julia: I'll
call Dr Harrison!
Both nurses
leave.
Katrina:
[softly] Jarod?
Jarod comes
and sits beside the bed. He takes her hand.
Jarod:
[quietly] What caused that? Apart from the attention-seeking bit, I mean.
Katrina:
[curiously] How much did Michael tell you about me? Did he tell you what's
wrong with me?
Jarod:
[softly] Vaguely...
Katrina:
[looking out the window] I don't tell people even half of what I'm about to
tell you. Even Michael doesn't know half of this. About eight years ago, when I
was working an the Australian Embassy in Bonn, Germany, I got sick. On the
insistence of my boss I went to the doctor and was diagnosed with leukemia. I
started chemotherapy but, just as they thought I was about to achieve
remission, they discovered cancerous cells in my bone marrow as well. To cut a
very long story very short, I flew back to Australia and, by the time I got
home and had sorted out various problems that appeared at the time, they began
to find tumours in my lungs and on my brain. That's probably what caused the
fainting fit. Either that [a teasing note entered her voice] or I was just
devastated that you were leaving. Seriously, I wouldn't tell people that but,
considering what you've done, I think you deserve to know something. However
I'd rather you didn't tell anyone, not even Michael, at this stage.
Jarod:
[solemnly] You have my word.
The door
opens and a tall, graying man comes in, wearing a worried expression and
carrying a folder of x-rays and test results.
Harrison:
Well Katrina, here again.
Katrina: [smiling]
Not really by choice but I figured that it was almost time for the next round
of tests and thought I could get in ahead of you again. Dr Harrison, this is
Jarod, a friend of mine. [Jarod smiles slightly]
Harrison:
I've got the results of the tests we just did. I hurried them through because
they're pretty serious. Katrina, we're running out of time.
Katrina:
[looking out of the window, with a sigh] I know. But where on earth are we
supposed to find one man, who isn't even on this continent?!
Jarod:
[looking somewhat, understandably, confused] I hate to interrupt but too late
for what? And who?
Katrina:
[explaining to him] The tumors, both on my brain and in my lungs are pretty far
advanced. However, there was one doctor that we heard about that had had
miraculous success at removing these sorts of things.
Harrison:
[patiently] He was an American surgeon and his name was Jarod Morrison. But he
suddenly disappeared, just as we were on the verge of getting him to fly over
here. There were, at that time, several other people in Katrina's position.
Unfortunately all except Katrina have since died, however we can continue live
in hope that he will one day reappear and that we can get him here.
We see
Jarod's face as he relives the time when, as Jarod Morrison, he had had such
wonderful success with that very thing and we see his face work as he struggles
with the difficulty - does he reveal himself now, operate on Katrina and then
be discovered by the Centre and taken back? His rule had always been never to
repeat a Pretend - it made him too easy to catch! Or did he simply sit and
watch Katrina die because of his cowardice? A third option, to simply finish
the problem which was developing at the hospital where he and Michael worked
and then walk away was simply unthinkable. He was too closely involved.
Dr Harrison
puts up chart after chart, showing the growth of the tumours in Katrina's lungs
and also the development of some on various parts of her brain.
Harrison:
[Explaining to Jarod] None are big enough yet to cause more than brief
blackouts, but, given time, would eventually destroy her brain functions,
provided the lung tumors, or other tumors which haven't yet developed, such as
some in her heart or liver, don't kill her first.
As Dr Harrison
is preparing to leave, Katrina notices the time and warns Jarod that he has
very little time to get to work. When he leaves, she gives Dr Harrison a phone
number and asks him to telephone the person at that number and ask him to come
and visit her. The name on the paper is only just legible - SYDNEY.
The hospital
about two hours later
Sydney walks along the
hallway, stopping to check room numbers with that written on a piece of paper
which he holds in his hand. Stopping at a door he taps gently on it and enters.
Katrina:
[pleased that he came] Sydney!
Sydney:
[shocked] Katrina! What are you doing here? Are you the one who wanted to see
me?
Katrina:
[smiling] Yeah. I heard that you were in Australia and now, with heaps of time
on my hands, I thought I'd get in touch.
Sydney: I
haven't seen you since you were working with us! It would be about seven years
ago now, I suppose.
Katrina:
[indicating a chair] Seven, almost to the day, since I started. Have a seat.
At the same
time, in Jarod's hotel room
Jarod paces up and down,
trying to decide what to do. Should he operate? The moment he declared his
identity, he knew that the news must reach the Centre. If Australia had found
out about him then it must be relatively simple for the Centre to do so. They,
after all, had more to go on. But if he didn't operate, then she would die.
That thought was as impossible to him as that of being returned to the Centre.
And yet, could he watch her die, knowing that he could have saved her life? He
could stay with her and watch her die or be torn from her, knowing that she
would live, perhaps longer than himself. After several hours he has finally
decided. His head goes up and he nods slightly. Yes, he has to, for her sake...
Several hours
later, outside Katrina's room
Jarod stood in the hall,
still determined. Dr Harrison was examining her and he must wait, but, while he
does so, he looks around the wing in which they had put her. So many people
that he could help, whose lives he could turn around, if he was given the
chance and time. He comes out of his reverie to find the nurse called Julia
standing at his elbow.
Julia: Dr
Harrison is finished now. You can go in.
Jarod stands
in the doorway, with a determined light in his eye which Katrina picks up on immediately.
Katrina:
Hi...what on earth is wrong with you? You look like you just won Lotto! Sit
down, for goodness sake, before you fall down!
Jarod: [as he
sits] This is something money can't buy. Katrina, last time I was here you
mentioned Dr Jarod Morrison. Well, that's me! [he sits back, waiting for her
reaction]
Katrina:
[quietly] I know...
Jarod: What?!
Katrina: Dr
Harrison just showed me the photos. We were hoping you would admit to it before
this!
Jarod: But, I
can do the operation...today! As of tomorrow, you'll have everything, your
whole... [she puts a finger on his lips to stop him, knowing what he is going
to say]
Katrina: You
can't...
Jarod:
[bouncing to his feet] Try and stop me!
Katrina: [shaking
her head] No, I don't mean can't, I mean that it's too late now, it wouldn't do
any good and I probably wouldn't survive the op. When Dr Harrison and I said
that time was running out, we meant that. There was only a matter of hours left
and, now, its too late. When Dr Harrison met you yesterday, he recognized you
pretty quickly but he wouldn't say anything, knowing that there must have been
a reason for you to disappear like you did; knowing that to push you into doing
the op was the quickest way of having you disappear again. He would never push
somebody to do something they didn't want to. But he brought the photo of you
today to show me. [there is a short pause. Jarod is beyond speaking and Katrina
is nervous about what she wants to say] Jarod, I have a lot to thank you for.
If you hadn't been there before, I may well not have survived. You remember the
things they had to do to bring me back in the ambulance. But I would like, and
I think this is kind of natural, to know something about you. You don't have to
tell me if you don't want to, but I would like to know...[she trails off,
wondering what his reaction will be]
Jarod: [after
fighting within himself for a moment] You probably won't believe me, but here
goes...
In Sydney's
hotel room
Miss Parker: Well, do we
think he's here or not?
Sydney: I
don't know about him but someone knows our code and the only people who do are
myself, Jarod...
Miss Parker:
Lyle too. Remember when he got Jarod into the Arizona desert and tried to kill
him?
Sydney:
[finishing what he was saying]...and Angelo. Lyle is definitely dead, we know
that!
Miss Parker:
Can we be certain this time?
Sydney:
[ignoring this] So who did send it? If only Pretenders know that - and we know
they do - then...
Miss Parker: [understanding
his train of thought] We've got a new Pretender on our hands...
Hospital room
Harrison: [shaking her
hand] Well, Katrina, I think we can let you go this time.
Katrina:
Thanks Doctor Harrison. I suppose I'll be seeing you fairly soon?
Harrison:
[sadly] Well, you know as well as I do that we can't control these faints. It's
only a matter of time... [seeing Jarod appear in the doorway] And now here's
you taxi driver.
Jarod strides
to the bed and picks up Katrina, who is fully dressed, and places her in the
wheelchair which is standing beside the bed.
Katrina:
[somewhat annoyed and embarrassed] I could have done that myself!
Jarod: [in
tones of open amusement] Well, Miss Independence, and I suppose you're also
capable of walking down the six flights of stairs to the car?
Katrina:
[laughing but well aware that she is capable of no such thing] Well...maybe
not...
She gives him
a look, as she settles herself into the chair, which shows just how material a
change her feelings towards him have undergone in the previous few days.
Several days
later - Sydney's hotel room
Miss Parker: [brightly]
Syd, we've got him!
Sydney: Who?
Jarod??
Miss Parker:
[in heavily sarcastic tones] No! Raines, despite the fact that he's dead! -- Of
course Jarod. Willie spotted him driving into the parking lot of an apartment
building a few blocks from here, wearing the uniform of a security guard.
Sydney: That
means he'll have a gun...
Miss Parker:
He won't be the only one...[producing one]
Sydney: [puzzled]
How on earth did you get that through customs?
Katrina's
room with Jarod's voice as VO
Jarod: Come on, darn you.
Answer. [Katrina picks up the phone] Kat, I've got a problem. Can you
get...[the phone goes dead]
Katrina
quickly presses a button on the phone which keeps the call connected, as well
as plugging it into the modem which is attached to her laptop computer. She is
able to rapidly connect to the hotel's security system and access the room she
wants. On the screen we see Jarod confronted by Miss Parker, holding a gun at
his head as Willie puts him in handcuffs. The handcuffs cause a small cut on
Jarod's ankle to begin bleeding. Willie, obeying Miss Parker's unspoken order,
leaves the room, disgustedly wiping the blood from his hands onto his pants. On
another of the four pictures on the screen and show vantage points of various
areas of the hotel, we see him taking up a position in the hall.
Katrina,
meanwhile is donning a security guard uniform similar to the one Jarod is wearing,
except that a badge on the front shows that it is for the hotel where Jarod is
staying. She checks that the two guns in the holsters are loaded and then she
leaves the room. We hear a car start. We continue to view the action through
the computer screen and we can hear what is going on through the phone.
Jarod's
hotel, hallway.
Katrina, aware that
Jarod's room in soundproof and that the occupants cannot hear what is going on
in the hallway, has collected the other members of the security group, all of
whom treat Katrina as their chief. She gradually arrests the various sweepers
that are surrounding the hotel, seemingly aware of their actions and able to
beat them at their own game. Meanwhile, in Jarod's room, we see Miss Parker
filling a syringe with fluid. Sydney, concerned, asks what she is doing and
Miss Parker tells him that this will keep "Boy Wonder" quiet on the
flight home. But not to worry, as she has Tower authorization to do this.
As she
finishes injecting Jarod, who rapidly slumps back onto the couch, we see dark
shadows behind the curtains of several windows, particularly those of the
bedroom and bathroom. One opens a window, which creaks loudly. Sydney, Miss
Parker and Broots turn towards the door, Miss Parker aiming her gun into the
room. Behind her the door to the apartment slowly and silently swings open and
a figure in uniform enters, however the person stays in the shadows. The first
that Miss Parker knows of this new intruder is when she feels the barrel of a
gun against her neck. Sydney and Broots turn in shock as a female voice demands
that she drop her weapon.
Miss Parker:
[without loosening her hold on her gun] I hate to mention this but you're sort
of outnumbered
The figure
holding Miss Parker gives a shrill whistle and instantly the room is full of
security guards, all with weapons drawn. The first figure moves slowly into the
light.
Katrina:
[vindictively] I'd say we just about evened the score, wouldn't you?
Sydney:
[shocked] Katrina?!
Katrina:
[mock seriously] Sorry Sydney, but this is what I do! Oh, by the way, I was
released from hospital yesterday. [Sydney begins to look somewhat amused]
Miss Parker
is handcuffed, her gun is snatched away and she is held by three men. Broots
and Sydney are also held. Katrina turns immediately to Jarod, who has appeared
to notice nothing and is still half-slumped in the corner of the couch. Katrina
notices the small vial on the table where Miss Parker had dropped it when the
sound of the window distracted her, and snatches it up. She reads the name and
turns, with a bitter smile curling her lips.
Katrina: I
hate to tell you Miss Parker, but this is a banned substance in Australia, as
is the weapon you aimed at Jarod just now. You're under arrest, as is the
younger man. [she turns to him and he gasps in recognition] Mr...Broots, isn't
it?! Let the older man go. I'll need his help and he isn't as dangerous as the
other two. [Sydney is released and Broots is handcuffed]
Miss Parker:
I don't think you have the authorization to do that! Aren't you a psychologist?
Katrina:
[with open contempt in her voice] Oh no, I think you're mistaking me for
someone else! Take them away!
Sydney hurries to Katrina's side as the others are led out of the building and
into waiting police cars.
Sydney: What
are you? And who are you?
Katrina: I'll
tell you later. Right now, help me get him into my car. We'll take him to my
place
Sydney looks
at her with a queer smile on his lips
Sydney:
[sarcastically] So now you're a doctor...
Katrina: [absent-mindedly]
I am today...
Katrina's
house in a guest bedroom with an ensuite.
Jarod, now fully
unconscious, is laid on a bed and Katrina dismisses the men who have helped get
him there. One protests,
Jamie:
[concerned] But, Miss Robinson, shouldn't we take him to a doctor? [Sydney
looks mystified at the strange surname]
Katrina:
[firmly] No, he'll be fine here. Thank you for your help.
Sydney's eyes
widen as they salute her and march out of the room. We hear a car start up and
drive off.
Katrina: [on
her knees beside Jarod's bed and rapidly assessing his condition; without
looking around] Syd, open the second drawer and bring me the vial and syringe
you'll find there. I also need one of the tablets from the blue box and a glass
of water.
Sydney
fetches what she asks for, places it on the table beside the bed and watches.
In the meantime Katrina has loosened Jarod's collar and takes off his shoes,
socks and belt. She unwraps one of the tablets and drops it into the glass of
water, where it fizzes and dissolves rapidly. She then fills the syringe from
the vial and injects Jarod with the contents.
Katrina:
[still without looking up] Stand somewhere he can't see you. His heart wouldn't
be able to stand a shock like that and I don't have the equipment here to help
him with a cardiac problem. [Sydney moves to a place where he can see
everything but not be seen]
Within a few
seconds Jarod groggily opens his eyes. While he is looking at her, she puts the
glass (which has stopped fizzing and looks exactly like water) to his lips,
supporting his head with her other hand. He smiles at her as he drains the
glass. His eyelids fall and he relaxes. She gently lowers his head and covers
him with the blankets which lie, folded, on the end of the bed. She then rises
from her knees and dusts herself off.
Sydney:
[rushing in concern to Jarod] What have you done?!?!
Katrina:
[patiently] Tried to reverse the drug Miss Parker gave him. It's banned
here in Australia because it's been found to cause the heart to become very
stressed and even a short period of being exposed to it can cause permanent
damage. My treatment is the only one to have been found to be even vaguely
helpful. I had to wake him from the stupor and then sedate him to try and relax
the heart. [allowing a teasing tone to creep into her voice] After all, you
wouldn't want to hear that your prize Pretender had died of an aneurysm, now,
would you?
Sydney:
[looking at her] Come on now, tell me who you are!
Katrina: [smiling]
OK, we can leave Sleeping Beauty here for a few hours before he needs the next
dose. [leaving the room]
Sydney:
[curiously] How long does he need to stay like that?
Katrina:
[over her shoulder as she enters the kitchen] At least a few days...
Katrina's
kitchen
Sydney: So, if you're not
really a psychologist, nor a doctor or a security guard, then what are you?
Katrina:
[laughing] Surely Syd, you're the one to tell me that!
Sydney:
[amazed] You're a Pretender?
Katrina:
[smiling at him] Of course.
Sydney:
[curiously] So you're the one...
Katrina: [she
nodded] I'm the one who sent you that email, yes. I couldn't take the risk of
coming back to Delaware. I've seen what happens when a person tries to escape
the Centre. I was there when Jarod almost met his parents. And I was there when
Kyle was killed. I had to find other people who were the same as me and, when I
came to the Centre, I knew I'd found the place. So I got a job working under
Raines and quickly got myself allocated to the Pretender program and the search
for Jarod and Kyle. That's how I met you, Miss Parker and Broots. I'm also the
reason that Jarod is here, but I didn't send for Miss Parker and Broots or the
rest of the sweeper gang. That, of course, you did but never mind - they won't
be here long.
Sydney:
[looking concerned] What are you going to do to them?
Katrina:
Well, not kill them so you can take the worried look off your face. Not, I'll
simply get them extradited. That'll keep them out of the way for a while. Just
long enough, anyway, for you to learn why I want you here and say goodbye.
Sydney:
What...? Say goodbye...?
Katrina:
Here, read these [handing him four pieces of paper]. Two are birth
certificates, one is an adoption certificate and one is a medical certificate.
Sydney:
[looking at the first birth certificate] But, these are my parents! Who is this
person? Why haven't I heard of him before?
Katrina:
[looking at him] That's your older brother. He was born before your parents got
married and was, of necessity, put up for adoption. Perhaps the subject was too
painful for you parents to tell you, or maybe they were too embarrassed. I
don't know. But, as the second certificate shows, this person is also my
father. Consequently...
Sydney: I'm
your uncle?
Katrina:
Bingo! As for the other, that's just to let you know for how long you'll have a
niece and why I wanted you here now. [Sydney is silent] I wanted to get to know
you before I died. Jarod, too, because he is so like me!
Sydney: But
if you're a Pretender too, does that mean...
Katrina: That
Jarod is a blood relation of yours? No, I explored that alley.
Sydney:
[sadly] I wish Jacob could have known this...
Katrina:
[quietly] He did. I found a note after he died that said he had always known
who I was and he wished he could have got in touch with me. He wrote it just
prior to the accident and sent it to my father. I found it just after my father
was killed. Just a minute... [Katrina goes and gets her laptop, which is
beeping. She disconnects the phone and taps into the criminal records account
at the prison where the police are holding the Centre personnel. She adds a few
more small, drug-related offences to their accounts as Sydney watches,
open-mouthed. She then puts in an official suggestion that the seven people be
extradited, with no chance of return for at least two years]
Sydney:
[confused] Can you do that?
Katrina:
[laughing] I can do anything I want. [teasingly] I'm a Pretender, remember?!
Can you stay for a while? I want to get to know you as my uncle, not just my
boss!
Prison cell
Miss Parker has just been
strip-searched and several more vials of the drug have been found and
confiscated. Fuming at what has been done to her, Miss Parker is led to a cell.
We see the process repeated on several of the sweepers, however Broots is
spared the embarrassment.
Two days
later at Katrina's house
Jarod is now propped up
against several pillows and is dressed in plain pajamas. He is still
unconscious but, as Katrina approaches the bed with a glass in her hand, he
stirs. His eyes flicker open and come to rest on her. However so blurred is his
vision that, instead of seeing Katrina, he sees
Jarod: Kyle!
[he struggles against the sedation which has left him too weak to move
properly]
Katrina: [as
she puts the glass down on the bedside table, sits on the edge of the bed and
prevents him from moving] No, Jarod. It's not Kyle. It's me, Katrina. I'm
sorry.
As he
relaxes, having realized that it is not Kyle, she puts the glass to his lips.
As he drinks the liquid, we watch her face, full of concern and affection.
Slowly the sedative takes effect. She rises from beside the bed and, bending,
gently kisses him once on the forehead and again on the mouth. Then, without
looking back, she leaves the room.
A court room
We see Miss Parker,
Broots and the others brought in. They are handcuffed and have to be jerked to
their feet by several of the guards when the judge enters. As she sits, we look
around the courtroom. Slowly we focus in on one face at the back. It is
Katrina...
A week later,
Katrina's house
We see a small article,
circled in red, which announces the extradition of Miss Parker, Broots and the
others. We see Katrina sitting on the edge of Jarod's bed. He is still
unconscious. An empty glass sits beside his bed and Katrina is monitoring his
pulse. Sydney enter, carrying a tray which contains another glass full of
water. The room is only dimly lit and contains many of the possessions
which had been in Jarod's hotel room. We can recognise the suitcases from the
airport.
Katrina: Syd,
stay out of sight for a few minutes. He's slowly coming round. Keep an ear
open, though. I want him to see you before he can jump up and escape.
Sydney: Will
he remember any of this?
Katrina: God
I hope not - for his sake...
Sydney
withdraws, just as Jarod's eyelids flutter and he moves his head slightly on
the pillow. He moans.
Katrina:
[quietly] Jarod? [more insistently] Jarod, come on. Time to wake up now. [She
shakes him gently] Come on Jarod, open your eyes.
Jarod moans
again and slowly complies. His eyes rove around the room before coming to rest
on Katrina. Recognition gradually dawns and he slowly smiles. He swallows and
licks his lips. Katrina holds the water to his mouth and he slowly gulps it
down, keeping his eyes trained on her.
Jarod:
[beginning to wake up] What's going on? [stronger and trying to sit up] What on
earth am I doing here?
Katrina: [gently, calmly] Shh, it's all right. You're quite safe. [she gently
pushes him back onto the pillow] Just lie still. [he relaxes against the
pillow]
Jarod: What's
going on?
Katrina:
[quietly] You just had a little accident.
Sydney slowly
enters the room, but Jarod doesn't notice
Sydney:
[smiling] She saved your life.
Jarod stares
up at him for a moment before struggling to get out of bed and escape.
Katrina:
[exasperated] Oh for goodness sake! [She pushes him back against the pillow
again but he struggles to get away] Jarod, stop! [He complies] Sydney is here
alone. No one else associated with the Centre is here and, as I said before,
you're quite safe. Syd is not going to take you anywhere. He is here for a
totally different reason. Now lie still or I'll have to sedate you again!
Jarod stops
and stares up at her as she gets up to refill the glass, but she doesn't
notice. He turns to Sydney and sees that he is leaning against the doorway and
smiling gently at him.
Sydney:
[laughing] She's right, you know. I have no intention right now of returning
you to the Centre. In fact I've promised not to for the rest of my niece's
life!
Jarod:
[confused] Your...niece?
Sydney:
[lightly] So it appears!
Katrina
returns with a full glass and makes Jarod drain it. Then she leans him forward
and takes away several of the pillows from behind his head so that he is lying
down.
Katrina:
[patiently] You need to rest now [we can see that Jarod is becoming gradually
drowsy as the shocks he has received begin to take their toll]. Have to obey
doctors orders, you know! Syd, grab the glasses and lets leave the patient
alone.
Sydney and
Katrina leave the room, turning off the light and shutting the door behind
them. Looking at Jarod, we can see that he is already asleep.
The Centre,
Blue Cove, Delaware
Miss Parker: [angrily]
Damn it, Broots. Override the damned order or something! There's two Pretenders
in that hole of a country and I want both of them here!
Broots:
[patiently] I've already told you several times, there is no way I can override
that order...
Miss Parker: Then
book us new tickets, under different names
Broots:
[shaking his head] That won't work either. They won't allow the passport photos
through. I've tried.
Miss Parker:
[slamming both fists on the consul] Then call Sydney and find out what the hell
is going on! I want to know everything - now!
Broots:
Another no-no. Our calls are blocked to both Syd's phone and the one at the
hotel. In fact, calls from anywhere - and that includes my house - are all
being blocked somehow. The only person I know who could manage that would have
to be Jarod - unless Katrina succeeded in learning the tricks of the trade too.
Miss Parker:
[impatiently] Oh for God's sake Broots. She's a Pretender too. She has to be.
Of course she knows how to do all that stuff. I just hate the fact that the
bitch "pretended" to be psychiatrist here. Why, she'd know everything
about the set-up of the Centre better that our Boy Wonder himself...
Several weeks
later at Katrina's house
Jarod is looking
decidedly better than he had been previously. Katrina, on the other hand, has
gradually begun to look worse and has been in and out of hospital several
times. However her condition is worsening so gradually that those who care for
her most - Jarod and Sydney - have not fully realized what it meant. Sydney is
much the same. They are sitting in the garden of Katrina's house, reveling in
the sunshine.
Jarod:
[amazed] Do you know, I still find it amazing actually to be able to relax and
not be pursued by anyone. It lovely just to be able to relax. Even more amazing
to find one of my own kind!
Katrina:
[chuckling softly] Well, it's nice to finally get a chance to talk to you
instead of just sending cryptic email!
Jarod:
[finally understanding] So it was you that got me to come here in the first
place! [a short pause] Kat, can I ask you something?
Sydney:
[taking the hint] I've...I've got some work to do.
Jarod:
[ignoring the beseeching look he is receiving] Kat, I want to say something but
I am going to find it really hard, so can you wait until I'm through? I love
you, in fact I think I'm in love with you. What I want to know is, will you
marry me? [he produces a ring box and opens it to show a band of gold
supporting a single solitaire diamond]
Katrina:
[heaves a huge sigh - it is not one of pleasure] Jarod, I was really hoping you
wouldn't ask me that! It's not that I don't feel anything for you - quite the
opposite!...
Jarod: But...
Katrina: No
wait, let me finish. [Jarod become mutinously silent] I gave you your chance,
now give me mine! I love you very dearly - otherwise I would never have done
all of the things I have for you. But I can't marry you for one simple reason.
Jarod, we ran the final tests today. It is virtually impossible that I will
live for another three months. I'm not saying this because I want sympathy -
God knows, I get enough and to spare of that as it is! But I can't marry you!
Even if I was to live until the day of the wedding, and even supposing I had
the energy to go down the aisle with you, I would have virtually no time left.
Even now, I'm living purely on borrowed time! [pausing to collect her thoughts
before continuing] I feel that there is a big difference from being in love
with someone outside wedlock and the feelings which develop after marriage. I can't
possibly ask you to marry me, only to lose me just after, or even perhaps
during the honeymoon!
Jarod: But
you've lived so long already...
Katrina:
And I just don't have the energy to fight on any longer. I want to, believe me.
I want to so much. I have so much more to go on for now, but...I couldn't stand
it if I said yes and didn't even live to see us married. And...I'm scared that
you might resent me for "giving in" or for "leaving you"
even more than is natural. [Jarod is upset and confused] I can't explain this
well enough to make you understand me, I know. It's not that I don't want to,
it's that I can't!!!
At this point
the tears that have been in Katrina’s eyes slowly slide down her cheeks. Jarod,
too, is silent, not knowing what to say.
Jarod:
[slowly] Why didn't you tell me that you were worse?
Katrina:
[almost angrily] What good would it have done? All it would have done was to
make you torment yourself more for what you didn't do. I don't blame you for
that. I would rather have you here with me now - for a short time - than have
to see you dragged off by Miss Parker and her goons. Please believe that and
never, ever doubt that I do love you and would marry you if it were possible.
But it isn't...
Katrina
suddenly gets up and walks out of the garden and down towards the beach. Jarod
is left staring after her.
The Centre
Miss Parker receives an
email
"Having
a nice time visiting relatives. Wish you were here. The weather is fantastic.
I'll be back when I can. Sydney."
Miss Parker
sent a return message.
"Syd. We need
you here and now. I don't give a damn about the weather - I give a damn about
that experiment of yours that's running around loose out there acting like an
overgrown Boy Scout! Get back here NOW!!"
Two weeks
later in Australia
Each day is a reproach to
Katrina as she tries to act normally - and fails dismally! Jarod, too, is
finding the situation very difficult and tries to bury himself in the Pretends
which he creates for himself. Unfortunately he solves them all far too rapidly
to divert his thoughts from the real problem. Sydney, too, tries to be away
from home as much as possible, realising that Katrina needs to resolve the
situation for herself. One evening Sydney and Jarod come together to discuss
the situation in the apartment Sydney took for himself when he realized that he
would be in Australia for a while.
Jarod:
[pacing the room] Syd, I don't think I can stand this any more. I have to get
away. This is driving me crazy.
Sydney: [shocked]
Do you mean you'd just disappear? Jarod, that would kill her!!
Jarod:
[through clenched teeth] But she is driving me crazy. She might have said that
she had only three months but we're only two weeks away from the end of that
time now!
Sydney:
[patiently] All right, supposing you did go - where would you go?
Jarod:
[firmly] Home
Sydney:
[shocked] The Centre?
Jarod:
[angrily] Oh, please Syd. Give me a break. No, I just mean the US. I need to
escape, to forget her - and to get her out of my life - forever.
Sydney:
[drily] If you did leave, you’d have no concern of her ever reappearing!! The
only female you would have to worry about ruining your life would be Miss
Parker, but of course you've considered that!! [serious again] Why don't you
talk to her first?
The next day
- Katrina's house
Jarod and Katrina are
sitting having a cold drink in the kitchen
Jarod:
[slowly] Look, I know that this is a painful subject [now it is he who is
preventing her from speaking] but I need to know...Are you sure?
Katrina:
[firmly] Yes, Jarod. I am. I can understand if you feel the need to get away.
[Jarod looks slightly stunned but remains silent] If it's too hard, then don't
stay around for my sake. [She gets up and takes her glass to the sink so that
he can't see the tears in her eyes]
The airport
that evening
Jarod is sitting in a
chair with his ticket in his hand and his suitcases around him, and alternating
looks between the ticket and the check-in desks in front of him
Katrina house
several hours later
Katrina, in an attempt to
escape from her loneliness, turns on the radio.
"The
QAN20531 flight to Los Angeles has crashed into the sea. There are no
survivors. Those who wish to inquire about family members should call..."
but Katrina hears nothing else as she collapses on the floor.
At the
hospital, five hours later
Katrina is on life
support now and we hear a constant beeping as the machines fight to keep death
away. Sydney is talking to Dr Harrison.
Harrison:
[sadly] I don't think we can pull her through this time. She went downhill so
fast - it's like she lost the most important thing in her life...[his voice
trails off as he looks as his papers and walks away down the corridor]
Sydney:
[echoing softly]: The most important thing in her life...
The hospital,
two hour later
Sydney is idly looking
through the Katrina's possessions, which are laid out on the tray at the end of
her bed. Among them he finds a scrap of paper and a large envelope addressed to
Jarod. We see the name become blurred as Sydney's tears fall on it. Turning the
scrap of paper over, however, he glances at it and bolts from the room,
overturning his chair as he leaves. We focus in on Katrina's face, which has
not moved.
The hospital,
an hour later
Sydney is sitting beside
Katrina and holding her hand
Sydney:
[begging] Please hold on. I found the note you wrote and I called him. Please
just wait until he gets here. He wasn't on that plane...please believe me. I've
spoken to him and he's on the way...please just hold on until he gets
here...please...[He is interrupted by a voice in the doorway]
Jarod:
[softly] Syd...?
Sydney leaps
out of his chair and is in front of Jarod with a bound. He is so busy scolding
Jarod [as he did when Jarod was a child] for his stupidity in leaving that
neither notice Katrina's eyes slowly flicker open. When she sees who it is, she
struggles to sit up. The increase in speed of her heart rate causes the alarm
attached to the heart monitor to sound and several nurses rush in. Immediately
an announcement can be heard paging Dr Harrison. However Katrina has only eyes
for Jarod, and they are full of tears as she is pushed back onto her pillows in
a way reminiscent of her treatment of Jarod while he was ill.
When Dr
Harrison appears in the doorway, he realizes that it is not what he feared and
relaxes somewhat. However he is quick to note Katrina's flushed cheeks and
bright eyes and peremptorily orders all people out. When they are gone,
Harrison:
Katrina, I know you can't talk but answer one blink for yes and two for no, ok?
[one blink] Well, you've managed to scare us all nicely. Hey, none of
that [as Katrina reaches to tear out the tube in her throat] I doubt you're
strong enough to do that yet...[several rapid and furious blinks. Dr Harrison
laughs] OK, we'll take it out for a while. Who do you want to speak to - Jarod?
[one blink] Sydney? [one blink] Together? [one blink] Okay, then let's get this
tube out and see what we can do...
He eventually
succeeds in getting it out so that she can talk relatively clearly, if only for
a short time. He then goes over to the two men standing in the doorway and
speaks quietly for a moment.
Harrison:
Don't make her do or say anything too violent - she's not strong enough yet.
Sydney:
[reluctantly] Will she pull through this?
Harrison:
[even more reluctantly] I wish I could say yes - but I doubt it. She's
undergone too much and her heart's too weak. She's still very energetic,
though, and she may surprise us yet.
Jarod and
Sydney gingerly approach the bed, where Katrina is resting before getting
involved in what she knows will be a very emotional situation.
Jarod:
[quietly] Kat? [her eyes fly open] Hey, you know you shouldn't have done this!
I'm not that important!
Katrina:
[softly but with meaning] Wanna bet? Hey, Syd. Pass me that envelope on the
table.
Sydney:
[holding up the one with Jarod's name on it] This one?
Katrina:
[trying to nod] Yes. Can I have it?
She stretches
out a bruised arm, with several IV's attached and turns to Jarod with a serious
face
Katrina:
[softly] I was really hoping that I could give you this in person. [there is a
long pause] Jarod, this is who you are...
Jarod
snatches the envelope from her and Katrina closes her eyes and takes several
deep breaths. Sydney, deeply interested, waits in the doorway. Jarod opens the
envelope and drops the contents on the bed. Inside are several more photos of
himself with his parents, two pages with birth certificates, two envelopes addressed
to him in different hand-writing styles, and a diary. He seizes the first birth
certificate
Jarod:
This...this is Kyle! "Kyle Michael McCarthy" [he looks in amazement
at Katrina] And this one - me! "Jarod Charles McCarthy - born September
20, 1959. Mother: Margaret McCarthy; Father: -" But...why is there a
gap? Who is it? What does this mean?
Katrina:
[softly and without opening her eyes] Jarod, your father, and Kyle's, was a
donor at the Centre's donor bank. I couldn't find out who. Their records aren't
perfect. I also had to leave before I could figure it all out. But there's your
other reason why I wouldn't marry you...Because...
Jarod:
[whispering] You're my sister...
Sydney, too,
looks as shocked as either of the others. There is several moments silence and
then Jarod looks down at the other photos. Sydney is watching Katrina and sees
her appear to sink further into the pillow. Her colour fades and, gradually,
her heart rate begins to slow until, for the second time, the alarm sounds.
Jarod looks up in terror and sweeps all the information off the bed and back
into the envelope. Faster this time, the nurses come running into the room and
Sydney and Jarod are swept out. The two men stand outside the glass of the
window and watch them work on Katrina. The rooms are soundproof and so they
cannot hear what is going on inside.
Tentatively Sydney lays his hand on Jarod's shoulder and Jarod turns to him for
protection, both instinctively avoiding looking in the window. Sydney embraces
Jarod, in a way he has not done for years, and Jarod does not pull away. After
several minutes Doctor Morrison moves out into the hall.
Morrison:
Well, we saved her this time but it will have to be the last. If we shock her
too many more times we could do permanent damage to the brain or heart. Jarod,
she's been asking for you but we need you to stay calm. She won't be able to
cope with much excitement. She hasn't lost her stubbornness, however.
Looking
through the window, the two men see how true this is, as they watch Katrina
struggle against the use of the breathing apparatus. It appears that she wins,
however, as a disgruntled-looking nurse eventually puts down the mouthpiece and
takes up an oxygen mask. Again, words appear to flow, although the men can hear
nothing. The nurse, taking one mask in each hand, appears to give her the
option and it is now Katrina who looks disgruntled as she indicates the oxygen
mask. It is rapidly put on.
Sydney:
[smiling slightly] Obstinacy must run in the family! [Jarod ignores him as he
moves towards the door. A nurse opens it and lets him in. She then leaves]
Jarod: [in a
voice full of tears] I thought you were leaving me...
Katrina: [who
is exhausted by the effort of talking; softly in a half-whisper but with her
eyes focused clearly on him] Not hardly, big brother.
The hospital,
the next day
Katrina is definitely
worse now and it is obvious that Jarod and Sydney have both spent the night
beside her. Jarod is sitting in a chair at Katrina's left hand and Sydney is
standing behind him. There is also a nurse sitting in the corner of the room.
Surrounding the camera are various people including Michael, Julia, Michelle,
Dr Harrison, David and his wife, and others we have seen but not met.
Katrina is
doing most of the talking and both Sydney and Jarod are often seen to have
tears in their eyes. Eventually Katrina stops talking and, slowly, her eyes
cloud over and gently close. No alarms sound but the nurse rises from her seat
and turns the monitors off. She then opens the door, leaves the room and closes
it behind her. Gradually the crowd around the window melt away, most of them
also in tears. The camera takes one last look through the window to see Sydney
with his hand on Jarod's shoulder and both men openly crying. The camera moves
off down the hallway and out of the hospital to the end of the street where the
beach stretches out before the viewer. Slowly the screen fades to black.