Before and After

Your whole life

can change in a second.

And you never even know

when it's coming.

Before you think you know

what kind of world this is.

And after everything is different for you.

Not bad maybe, not always.

But different.

Forever.

I didn't use to know that.

Until the day it happened to my family.

I didn't even know there

could be such a thing as after.

I didn't know that for us...

before was already over.

T.J., this won't hurt, I promise.

This is my special boo-boo light.

It's magic. Did you ever see

a magic boo-boo light before?

He had no business

being on his brother's sled.

- Darn thing's bigger than he is.

- You're needed downstairs.

T.J.'s a lucky boy, Mrs. Foley,

but I'd keep an eye on him.

If he complains of nausea or dizziness

or if he seems drowsier than normal,

give me a call.

That's not magic,

that's just a flashlight.

Oh, yeah?

Here, blow.

See you later.

She's gone, Trygve.

- No, there's still a chance. Give me that.

- Trygve, she's gone.

She wasn't gonna make it anyway.

We did our best. Break it down.

- What happened?

Some bastard clobbered her up near

Poor Farm Road and left her there.

She was lying in the snow by the pond.

Do we know who this is?

Martha Taverner.

Martha Taverner.

Oh... I've met her.

I even treated her once I think,

when you were on vacation, Trygve.

He's still out there,

whoever did this. Could be anywhere.

Hey, Dad, three ounces

ground cumin seed?

Yuck. What's cumin seed?

that is absolutely

the most crucial, fantastic,

top-secret ingredient of my entire chili.

Hi, Mom.

Hi.

Jacob!

Jake's parking is getting

sloppier than ever.

Man.

There's cars all over the place.

Ben, I swear I could hardly get mine

in the garage.

Parking it right would feel

too much like work.

Let me have some.

Hey, you're trembling.

I'm just cold.

- Dad, the stove's freaking out.

- In a minute.

Carolyn, what...

We had an event at the hospital today.

Event?

Dad, come quick!

- Fred!

- Dr. Ryan.

You haven't called me doctor

since we first moved up here.

Hi, Mom.

Chief, why the uniform today?

What's up?

Uh, sorry to barge in on you like this

right here at suppertime.

Get you something, Fran?

A beer if you're not on duty?

No, that's okay, thanks. Umm...

Is Jacob around?

He's up in his room, I guess,

with those damn headphones on.

You didn't see him come in?

- I was in the studio.

You need him for something?

Do you want us to get him?

I'll go.

Yeah, go on, hon.

Is there something wrong?

Okay, uh...

Something happened out on

Poor Farm Road today, something bad.

A girl got herself killed.

I know, I saw her.

What?

We had her in ER, beyond saving.

I mean, it was... awful.

That's what I was gonna tell you

when I came in.

- God, I'm sorry.

- What does that have to do with Jacob?

I don't want to have to tell you this,

I really don't.

Jacob was seen with the girl.

He picked her up from work.

She works down at Jacey's after school,

making ice cream cones.

He came by in his car and

they went off together like they been doin'.

As far as we know right now,

he was the last person with her.

Are you saying Jacob was dating

that girl, Martha Taverner?

No, what he's saying is...

He's standing here in our kitchen,

saying that he thinks our son was...

- For crying out loud, Fran.

- Ben, hey, hey.

Let's not jump the gun.

I just need to talk to him.

Jacob!

- He's not up there. I looked all over.

- That's crazy.

His car's in the garage.

I just saw it.

Do you have a spare set

of keys for the car?

- Yeah, I think.

- Daddy!

Something's happened but there's

been a misunderstanding.

We'll explain later, okay?

- Wait a minute, you can't do this.

- Do what?

You can't go snooping around

in someone else's car.

Legally, that's my car.

You do not have a search warrant.

Wait, I'm sure there's some very simple

explanation for all of this.

Jacob and the Taverner girl

must have separated somehow

before this even happened.

Maybe he just dropped her off somewhere.

Maybe she got out of the car, walked away.

There's a thousand different...

Fran, how do we know he's all right?

Maybe some madman did something

to both of them.

Maybe Jacob's hurt or he's kidnapped.

Oh, my God.

Carolyn, for his own sake,

that car might give us some answers.

No.

You're his parents, you want to protect him.

I got kids, too.

Ben, is there something that you know

that you're not telling me?

- How 'bout it, Judith? Do you know...

- Hey!

Off limits!

Leave her out of this, okay?

I'll tell you what I know.

I know my son.

- He's just helping us find him, darling.

- I don't want it to be like this.

But if I have to, I will go find Judge Grady

and I will get a search warrant.

- Yeah, well, you do that!

- It's okay.

Sweetie, you looked upstairs?

You sure? You looked every place?

We should've let him look in the car, Ben.

The hell we should have. Not without

a lawyer telling me I have to.

We've got rights here.

And wherever he is, whatever he did,

Jacob has rights too.

We have to take this

one step at a time, okay?

You and I will look in the house.

Top to bottom.

- I'll check out the garage and studio.

- If he's not there, we'll call his friends.

Carolyn, better call Wendell, too.

Oh, no.

Oh, Jake.

I know that, Wendell.

Mom?

- Wait, wait.

When Fran comes back,

we'll be perfectly...

I know it's a small town,

but it's our town too.

He will, I promise.

I promise, just hurry, okay?

- Lawyers.

- Mom?

Yeah?

Jacob was really mad this morning.

Said he might not even go to school.

Why?

What happened?

He and Daddy.

You know, they had another fight.

What?

You know that Jacob wants to rent

a big car for the winter dance

and ride around all night?

So, Daddy goes, "How are you

planning to pay for it?

"We've got rules

about this sort of thing, mister.

"It's time you learn

to pay your own way, Jacob. "

Mom, he knows Jake could never

save up in time. He knows that.

But Jake's such a big dope he already

promised rides to all his creepy friends.

He's already bragged about it to Mar...

Martha?

You knew about this girl?

How long have they been going out?

Since September.

He made me swear I wouldn't tell.

Jake said to Daddy,

"You think 'cause you're this big artist,

"like rules don't apply to you,

but they should always apply to me. "

"You're a hypocrite," Jake said.

Then Daddy just totally lost it.

But it was never that bad.

Mom, I'm so scared.

You didn't see their faces.

You weren't there.

Daddy wants Jacob to be more

responsible, so he challenges his pride.

Maybe too hard sometimes,

but that's love, Jude.

You know, that's love.

All right, let's go.

-Okay.

I'll go on up to the house.

Mom!

What are you doing, Ben?

Having a look at my car.

Don't I have a right

to be in my own garage?

How long you been out here?

- A couple of minutes.

All I did was look around,

and I sure didn't see anything wrong either.

Keys, Ben.

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes