It can, Jess... But not in this episode...
Maybe tomorrow's...
“AS THE WORLD TURNS”
TELEPLAY TO AIR DEC 27, 2007
<FADE IN>
SCENE: THE SNYDER FARMHOUSE
LILY, MEG, AND EMMA ARE IN THE KITCHEN
LILY (TO MEG):
Thank you so much for taking care of Ethan
when we were at the hospital.
It's just been crazy the last two days.
MEG:
Oh Lily, don't worry about it.
Everything turned out alright in the end.
EMMA:
That's right! We had a very good
Christmas after all.
LILY LIFTS A MUG UP AND TAKES A SIP:
I think it was one of the best Christmases.
MEG DOESN'T SAY ANYTHING BUT LOOKS WORRIED.
HOLDEN AND LUKE ENTER FROM OUTSIDE.
LILY:
Noah left?
LUKE:
Yeah, he had to do something up at the University.
Something about the dorm assignments.
HOLDEN:
I made sure he's coming back for the New Year though.
We need to toast him properly.
For everything.
LILY SMILES AT HOLDEN:
Well I need to get back to the Lakeview, so
I guess I'll head back home.
LUKE:
I'll get Ethan.
FAITH COMES IN FROM THE STAIRWELL CARRYING TWO LARGE BACKPACKS AS
LUKE PASSES HER ON THE WAY TO THE STAIRS, HE RUFFLES HER HAIR.
LILY TO FAITH:
Ready to go, sweetheart?
FAITH:
Yeah. We can stop and get Natalie, right?
LILY NODS:
You got all her stuff?
FAITH:
Yeah. She got a lot.
LUKE REENTERS CARRYING ETHAN. LILY GOES OVER TO HIM AND TAKES HIM.
FAITH GOES OVER TO WHERE EMMA AND MEG ARE SITTING.
FAITH:
Thank you so much for the presents, Grandma.
It was the best Christmas ever.
Except for Natalie falling in the water.
That was pretty bad.
EMMA:
Oh, honey. Even that turned out
okay at the end.
MEG SMILES AT FAITH:
Natalie was very lucky.
LILY:
Come on, Faith. Time to go.
EMMA:
Bye, sweety. Come back and see your grandma again soon.
FAITH:
I will!
HOLDEN TAKES ETHAN SO LUKE CAN HUG LILY.
LUKE:
Bye Mom. Visit us again soon, okay?
LILY STIFFENS A BIT:
Well, I suppose that depends on your father.
HOLDEN THROWS LILY AN ACCUSATORY GLANCE.
LUKE SIGHS:
Oh come on now. You two aren't starting that again, are you?
LILY SMILES:
No, Luke. We'll be alright.
LUKE:
Good, thats what I like to hear.
HOLDEN:
Well, you'd better get going before
traffic picks up.
LILY TAKES ETHAN BACK AND PECKS HOLDEN ON THE CHEEK:
I'll call when I get home.
LILY AND FAITH EXIT THROUGH SCREENDOOR.
LUKE AND HOLDEN WAVE FROM THE DOORWAY:
LUKE:
Bye, Mom!
HOLDEN LOOKS AT LUKE:
So you want to tell me what's really bothering you?
<FADE OUT>
<OPENING TITLES>
<COMMERCIAL>
<FADE IN>
SCENE: SNYDER FARMHOUSE
LUKE LOOKS AT HOLDEN, CONCERNED:
What do you mean?
EMMA AND MEG EXIT THE KITCHEN.
HOLDEN:
You've been stiff around Noah since we
got home from the hospital.
LUKE:
Yeah. The cold affects my legs.
Makes it hard to walk sometimes.
HOLDEN:
I don't think this has anything to
do with your injury. Something else
is going on between you two.
Did you have a fight?
LUKE:
No.... not exactly.
HOLDEN:
Okay. That's fine.
You don't have to talk about it
if you don't want to.
LUKE SIGHS:
It's just...
I think he's hiding
something from me.
HOLDEN:
Luke. Noah
has a lot on his mind.
Don't expect him to
share everything with you.
LUKE:
I know that, Dad.
I just wish he would
let me know how he feels.
HOLDEN:
Noah is doing the best he can.
Remember what I said earlier?
LUKE:
Yeah, I know.
I'm being patient.
HOLDEN REACHES UP AND RUBS LUKE'S SHOULDER:
Good. Give Noah the space
he needs, and I think
everything will be fine.
LUKE SMILES AND NODS.
<FADE OUT>
<COMMERCIAL>
<FADE IN>
SCENE: THE DINER
DUSTY IS SITTING AT A TABLE WITH A CUP OF COFFEE, LOOKING
AT THE PAPER. NOAH WALKS IN AND HEADS TOWARDS THE CASHIER,
SUDDENLY NOTICING DUSTY.
NOAH LOOKS AROUND ANXIOUSLY:
Mr. Donovan, it's good to see you again.
How has your holiday been?
DUSTY PUTS THE PAPER DOWN:
Noah! Why don't you come sit down for a bit.
I'll buy you lunch.
NOAH SHRUGS:
Sure.
DUSTY:
The holiday's been going well so far.
What about yourself? Have you had a
merry Christmas?
NOAH:
Yeah. Its been great.
DUSTY:
I'm surprised to see you here,
actually. Thought you might be with Luke
or at the farmhouse.
NOAH:
I had to run a few errands. Getting
ready for next semester.
THE WAITRESS WALKS OVER AND BRINGS DUSTY A SLICE OF PIE.
DUSTY:
Oh, thanks. Can you get my friend here whatever he wants.
NOAH:
Just a burger and fries for me. And a soda.
DUSTY SMILES:
You young people seem to be
able to eat so much.
THE WAITRESS WALKS AWAY.
NOAH LOOKS AROUND THEN TURNS BACK TO DUSTY:
It's not that I don't appreciate what
you're doing for me, Mr. Donovan.
I'm still a little confused by it, though.
DUSTY:
If you're worried about what your father did
to me. I've told you before: you had nothing
to do with it.
NOAH:
I know, but it just feels.... strange.
DUSTY:
It'll pass with time.
But something tells me thats not what's
bothering you.
NOAH:
You're right.
But it wouldn't be polite for me to say it here.
<TRANSITION>
SCENE: SNYDER FARMHOUSE
LUKE:
I just wish all my
misgivings would fade away.
I'm so tired of being suspicious, then guilty.
And I'm not even doing anything.
HOLDEN:
Well, what're you worried about?
Maybe I can set your qualms at ease?
LUKE:
It's.... nothing really.
HOLDEN:
It has to be something, if you're
trying to hide it from me.
LUKE LAUGHS NERVOUSLY:
Yeah, you do always catch me on that one...
It's Dusty. I think he's influencing Noah
somehow. It just doesn't feel right.
AT THE MENTION OF DUSTY'S NAME HOLDEN STILLS SUDDENLY.
HOLDEN:
I'm sure – I'm sure
that's not the case.
You have to remember,
Luke, Dusty took care of
Noah when his father was
arrested. I'm sure he's just
grateful.
LUKE:
That's what I keep telling myself.
But now, I'm starting to wonder.
<FADE OUT>
<COMMERCIAL>
<FADE IN>
SCENE: SNYDER FARMHOUSE
<OMINOUS MUSIC>
HOLDEN (NOW GIVING LUKE HIS FULL ATTENTION):
What do you mean?
LUKE:
Like two days ago, when I saw Noah and
Dusty talking at the hospital.
It seems like everytime I turn around,
Dusty is... inserting himself into our
life, and Noah's right there next to him.
I mean, Noah's great.
But I've had enough Dusty for awhile now.
HOLDEN GOES COLD:
Maybe you need to talk to Noah about it
when you see him again.
LUKE:
I'm not sure that I can, Dad.
I don't want to be rude.
And truth be told, Dusty has had
his share of heroism.
Mom told me how he saved me when-
when Colonel Meyer tried to kill me
in the hospital.
HOLDEN LOOKS AWAY FROM LUKE FOR A MOMENT,
BATTLING HIS OWN INNER DEMONS.
LUKE (CONT'D):
I just wish I knew what Dusty is trying to do.
<OMINOUS MUSIC>
<TRANSITION>
SCENE: THE DINER. NOAH AND DUSTY ARE SITTING
AT A TABLE. DUSTY COLDLY LOOKS AT NOAH THROUGH
HALF CLOSED EYELIDS.
DUSTY:
If you need to say something to me,
Mr. Meyer, I suggest you do it.
NOAH:
Hey. Don't get all angry on me.
I appreciate everything you've done for me.
I just need to know.....
Why are you doing this?
DUSTY:
If you think I have some kind
of evil plan, then I can stop
helping you, Noah. If that's
what you really want.
DUSTY LOOKS A LITTLE HURT.
NOAH:
No, I appreciate your friendship.
I really do. I just hope
that honesty is part of that friendship.
DUSTY:
What do you want to know?
NOAH:
Why were you at the hospital
the other day? And why were
you spying on the Snyders?
DUSTY:
I already told you, Noah.
I heard about Natalie.
NOAH:
I don't believe that though.
I think you were there
for some other reason.
DUSTY LOOKS AROUND:
This isn't the place to discuss this, Noah.
NOAH:
Fair enough.
I can wait until you're
ready to tell me.
DUSTY PAUSES FOR A MOMENT, LOOKS AT NOAH COLDLY:
Thank you for that, Noah.
I'll tell you the truth sometime.
The whole truth, if
that's what you really want to hear.
NOAH:
It is.
THE WAITRESS BRINGS NOAH'S ORDER.
DUSTY GETS UP TO LEAVE, TO NOAH'S SURPRISE.
HE THROWS A FEW BILLS ON THE TABLE.
DUSTY:
I'll see you later, then, Noah?
NOAH, DEFEATED:
Sure.
DUSTY EXITS.
NOAH LOOKS HURT AND CONFUSED FOR A MOMENT,
THEN PICKS UP A FORK AND STARTS PICKING AT THE FRIES.
<FADE TO BLACK>
<END>
