John Q Page #14

INT. EMERGENCY ROOM - LATE AFTERNOON

The hostages are glued to the TV, watching covering from the outside about what's happening on the inside.

J.Q.

Okay. Great. We're on the list. Wow. How's Mikey doing?

DENISE (O.S.)

Not so good, baby. He looks like he's going away.

EXT. COMMAND POST - LATE AFTERNOON

Cops are glued to the monitor. Grimes looks on, disgusted.

INT. MIKE'S ICU ROOM - LATE AFTERNOON

DENISE:

They've done everything they can but he keeps getting worse and worse. Oh my God, our poor baby.

Denise cracks. Tears come and there's no stopping them.

INT. CRAWL SPACE - LATE AFTERNOON

The sniper pops off the grill, revealing the acoustic tile of the ceiling below. He raises the microphone to his mouth.

SNIPER:

Two zero to base camp. I'm in position one.

MOODY (O.S.)

Go.

INT. EMERGENCY ROOM - TREATMENT AREA - LATE AFTERNOON

John rests his head and closes his eyes as he listens to his wife falling apart.

DENISE (O.S.)

You know, sometimes I think he's an angel. A real angel, sent down to keep us company for a while.

J.Q.

It's going to be alright, sweetheart.

DENISE (O.S.)

Are you praying for him? Are you praying for our boy?

J.Q.

Yeah, baby. I'm praying.

DENISE (O.S.)

Oh my God, what are we going to do?

J.Q.

I don't know.

DENISE (O.S.)

Maybe we should let him go. Maybe it's meant to be and we should accept it.

J.Q.

No. Don't say it.

DENISE (O.S.)

I don't know what else to think. The priest keeps coming. He wants to give him last rites.

J.Q.

Denise, don't you lose faith now. Not you. You can't give up. Mikey's going to make it. I swear on my life, he's going to make it. You've got to believe.

DENISE (O.S.)

Okay, baby. I'll believe.

J.Q.

Is he awake? Can I talk to him? INT. NEWS VAN - LATE AFTERNOON

On the monitors, the blizzard of white snow morphs into a clear picture of J.Q. on the phone. Mike's tired voice suddenly comes over the audio.

MIKE (O.S.)

Dad?

EXT. HOPE MEMORIAL HOSPITAL - LATE AFTERNOON

INTERCUT:

Lampley is giving the thumbs up. They have picture.

LAMPLEY:

Are we good? Beautiful baby. You're a genius.

Lampley puts on his most sincere look as the Channel 8 news team goes live.

LAMPLEY (CONT'D)

This is Tuck Lampley at Hope Memorial Hospital, where we are bringing you exclusive live coverage of a phone call between the father and the son he is fighting so desperately to save.

ON POLICE VIDEO TAP CAMERA

WE SEE J.Q.

Leaning against the wall. Father and son's 911 static scratched voices crackling.

J.Q.

Mike? How you doing, buddy? You hanging in there?

MIKE (O.S.)

Uh-huh. How are you?

J.Q.

Me? I'm fine. Don't worry about me.

INT. DUCT SYSTEM - LATE AFTERNOON

The sniper crawls from the louvered grill, moving along two metal support rails. He takes a crouching position over the acoustic tile.

INT. MIKE'S ICU ROOM - LATE AFTERNOON

Mike is propped up in bed, now breathing with some difficulty. He's so weak, Denise has to hold the phone.

MIKE:

How come you're not here, Dad? Where are you?

J.Q. (O.S.)

Oh, I'm kind of tied up right now. I can't get away.

INTERCUTTING SHOTS OF TV SETS AROUND THE NATION

Quick, jagged CUTS: American families. People in bars. TV appliance stores. Even the hostages in the ER. Awestruck at what they're witnessing.

INT. MIKE'S ICU ROOM - LATE AFTERNOON

MIKE:

Mom says I need a new heart.

J.Q. (O.S.)

That's right, champ.

MIKE:

What's wrong with my heart?

J.Q. (O.S.)

Not a thing, buddy. Not a thing. We just have to put a new one in so you can be stronger, okay?

MIKE:

Okay.

INT. DUCT SYSTEM - LATE AFTERNOON

The sniper lifts a ceiling tile, exposing the treatment room below. There, across the room, is J.Q. talking on the phone.

INT. MIKE'S ICU ROOM - LATE AFTERNOON

INTERCUT:

Mike stops to catch his breath. He's really on his last legs. He just lays there a second before asking the big one.

MIKE:

Hey, Dad?

J.Q. (O.S.)

Yeah, Mike.

MIKE:

Am I going to die?

Denise's hand flies to her mouth.

INT. DUCT SYSTEM - LATE AFTERNOON

CLOSE ON THE SNIPER

He pushes the barrel of his weapon through the opening in the ceiling and puts his eye to the scope.

SNIPER POV:

Through the scope, J.Q.'s tormented face racks into focus, but he moves behind a partition. The shot is not clear.

J.Q.

No, Mikey, you're not going to die.

MIKE (O.S.)

How do you know?

J.Q.

Hey, what good would the world be without you? Without you, there is no world.

EXT. HOPE MEMORIAL HOSPITAL - LATE AFTERNOON

Lampley stands by the news van watching the drama unfold on the monitor before him. He's a little choked up.

LAMPLEY:

Oh my God. This is the greatest thing I've ever seen. This is my white Bronco.

INT. EMERGENCY ROOM - TREATMENT AREA - LATE AFTERNOON

J.Q.

Hey, Mike.

MIKE (O.S.)

Yeah, Dad?

SNIPER POV - SCOPE MATTE

J.Q. moves out from behind the partition and into the open. He's a sitting duck now.

INT. DUCT SYSTEM - LATE AFTERNOON

The sniper cues his mic.

SNIPER:

On your call.

INT. EMERGENCY WAITING ROOM - LATE AFTERNOON

INTERCUT:

The hostages are glued to the TV set. Maguire, Julie, Debby, Marjorie Klein hang on J.Q.'s every word.

J.Q.

You know how much I love you, don't you? How proud I am of you?

MIKE (O.S.)

Yeah.

EXT. COMMAND POST - LATE AFTERNOON

Monroe nods at Moody. It's time.

MOODY:

(into walkie-talkie)

Take the shot.

INT. EMERGENCY ROOM - TREATMENT AREA - LATE AFTERNOON

From across the room and through the ceiling, a small red light snaps on. WE ZOOM IN to see what it is.

J.Q.

Yeah, well, I wanted to tell you that. Just in case I forgot.

INT. DUCT SYSTEM - LATE AFTERNOON

SNIPER POV:

J.Q. is in the crosshairs. Dead center. The red laser dot square in the middle of his back.

J.Q.

Give me a Chris Cormeir, will you? Yah!

MIKE (O.S.)

Oh, yeah. Chris Cormeir. He's great.

INT. EMERGENCY ROOM - LATE AFTERNOON

The hostages attention has been so focused on the screen, none of them have realized that for John to be on TV, there has to be a camera inside the ER. Suddenly, it hits Lester.

LESTER:

What the hell. Oh, sh*t...

INT. DUCT SYSTEM - LATE AFTERNOON

TIGHT ON THE TRIGGER. As the sniper squeezes --

INT. EMERGENCY ROOM - TREATMENT AREA - LATE AFTERNOON

J.Q.

Get some rest, buddy. Okay?

MIKE (O.S.)

Okay. I love you, Dad.

J.Q.

Yeah. I love you, too.

As J.Q. hangs up the receiver, the sniper pulls the trigger.

LESTER:

Hey, John. You're on the TV, you know that?

BANG!

John turns as the bullet explodes from the chamber, muzzle flashing. A bullet blows through J.Q.'s shoulder, knocking him backwards against the wall.

EXT. COMMAND POST - LATE AFTERNOON

The echoing gunshot rumbles through the air like a thunderclap. Monroe, Moody, Grimes and Payne react as the hostages scatter.

MOODY:

He's down. We got him. He's down.

Grimes pulls off his cans.

GRIMES:

Your kids are lucky, Gus. Their father's coming home tonight.

MEDIA MONITORS, POLICE VIDEO TAP, TV SETS

The cops. Lampley. America. All tuned into the --

INT. EMERGENCY ROOM - TREATMENT AREA - LATE AFTERNOON

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