INT.HOSPITAL ? HALLWAY
Bailey looks at her watch, then at Christina and Alex who stare back at Bailey.
������������������������ BAILEY
��������� Where are the other suck ups?
������������������������ CHRISTINA
��������� They have the day off.
������������������������ BAILEY
��������� And Dr. Sheppard?
������������������������ CHRISTINA
��������� With the other suck ups.
������������������������ BAILEY
How are we supposed to run a hospital around here? Fine. They?re lose today. Yang, you?re running labs, Karev you get to dispense the good news. Happy freakin? Christmas.
Bailey turns and begins to walk away. Christina runs to catch up with her.
������������������������ CHRISTINA
��������� Doesn?t someone need some help in the OR?
������������������������ BAILEY
Yang. Run labs. And put some make up on or somethin?. You look like you haven?t slept in a week. We wouldn?t want to scare the patients.
�������������� CHRISTINA
Yes Ma?am.
Bailey walks away, leaving Christina looking after her.
�������������� ALEX
Looks like we won the lottery today.
�������������� CHRISTINA
Shut up, evil spawn.
INT. BURKTINA?S APARTMENT
Preston sits at the dining room table sipping from a coffee mug and reading the newspaper. Burke?s mother sits across from him.
������������������������ PRESTON
��������� Have you seen Christina?
������������������������ MALAINA
Not for a few days honey. Good riddance, I say.
�������������� PRESTON
Mama?
�������������� MALAINA
Preston, she?s not good for you. All she does is work. She?s a very selfish person on top of that. If the two of you did get married what do you think would happen?
�������������� PRESTON
I love Christina.
�������������� MALAINA
Have you talked about marriage?
�������������� PRESTON
Mama?
�������������� MALAINA
That?s a no.
�������������� PRESTON
Mama. I think it?s time for you to go home.
�������������� MALAINA
Preston-
�������������� PRESTON
No, mama. It?s time for you to go home and stay home.
�������������� MALAINA
All right, Preston. Just remember what I said.
�������������� PRESTON
Yes, Mama.
INT. CHILDREN?S CENTER ? GREAT ROOM
Ripley sits down at the piano, plucking a few of the keys. Ripley smiles softly, remembering all of the good Christmases spent playing piano with friends. George sits down next to Ripley.
������������������������ GEORGE
��������� Fancy meeting you at the piano.
������������������������ RIPLEY
��������� I was just thinking?
������������������������ GEORGE
��������� About what?
������������������������ RIPLEY
��������� The good Christmases with friends.
������������������������ GEORGE
��������� What about family?
������������������������ RIPLEY
Have you ever wondered why Mer and I are friends?
Ripley concentrates on the piano as her random plunking turns into scales.
������������������������ GEORGE
��������� Sometimes.
������������������������ RIPLEY
We have more in common than you might think. (pause)Mer had a mother that was? Absent? a majority of the time and a father who left her. My parents? Died in a car crash when I was younger. 18, actually. So, I had no one during the holidays. Mer rarely went home, I?Well, I had nowhere to go.
�������������� GEORGE
Rip?
�������������� RIPLEY
No, I want you to hear this. Really. Mer?s first Christmas at college, she stayed on campus cause her mom was working. That?s when we met. The only two in the dorms. I was playing on a piano like this, putting Christmas carols in minor keys to fit my mood. Mer came into the room, waited for me to finish, then asked me to go to the bar. We were pretty much inseparable after that.
Ripley let the scale come to a crashing halt on a major chord, then finally looked at George.
������������������������ RIPLEY
So this, this is all you get about my background for right now. I didn?t tell you any of that for sympathy. Or for you to ask me to Christmas. I?m not ready for that. I told you because I wanted you to know. To understand why I come here and part of the reason for why I am the way that I am.
Keith walks over and pulls a pair of drumsticks out of his back pocket, he beats on the top of the piano to announce his presence.
������������������������ KEITH
Gloomy gusses. This is supposed to be a party. What do you say we get the singing started?
�������������� RIPLEY
Sounds like a plan.
Keith whistled and motioned everyone over to the piano. The group huddled and began singing Christmas carols.
INT.HOSPITAL ? LOCKER ROOM
Izzy, Meredith and George are all changing into their scrubs.
������������������������ MEREDITH
��������� Do you think Bailey will be on the warpath?
������������������������ IZZY
Probably. I?ll put my money on Lacy being on one, too.
�������������� MEREDITH
But Lacy?s only an intern. Bailey?s a resident.
�������������� IZZY
What?s got your tongue George?
�������������� GEORGE
What?
�������������� MEREDITH
Yeah. You haven?t said anything since we left the children?s center.
�������������� GEORGE
I?m a guy. We don?t talk much.
�������������� IZZY
Please. You?re a talker George.
�������������� GEORGE
What?s that supposed to mean?
�������������� IZZY
You?re a talker you like to George.
�������������� GEORGE
I am not a talker.
�������������� MEREDITH
So Ripley told you, huh?
�������������� IZZY
Told him what.
�������������� GEORGE
Ripley? Ripley didn?t tell me anything.
�������������� MEREDITH
George, this is me here. Tell the truth.
�������������� GEORGE
Okay, yes she told me. So what?
�������������� MEREDITH
So, you?ve got a choice. Pity Ripley and have her kick your ass or accept things how they are. You know she could break you in two, right?
�������������� IZZY
Wait. What?s going on?
�������������� MEREDITH
George found out why Ripley and I are friends.
Izzy stands there thinking about it for a moment.
�������������� IZZY
Yeah, why are you guys friends?
�������������� MEREDITH
We have a lot in common on the parental front.
Bailey sticks her head.
������������������������ BAILEY
��������� Well, it?s nice that you two showed up.
������������������������ MEREDITH
Sorry, previous engagement. But we?re ready to be tortured now.
�������������� BAILEY
Previous engagement? Grey you just bought yourself some time doing rectal exams. O?Malley, we need you to run and get a consult from Dr. Buffet.
�������������� GEORGE
Dr. Buffet? Isn?t Dr. Wilkins the head of Psych?
�������������� BAILEY
Dr. Wilkins left for Christmas break. Dr. Buffet has agreed to fill in. Stevens, Johnson has a bone to pick with you about Lacy.
�������������� IZZY
Oh, joyous rapture.
Hosted by www.Geocities.ws

1