ROCKLAND COUNTY – EPISODE #7 – APRIL 28, 2005 “HOLDING ON”

WRITTEN BY ROGER NEWCOMB

ROCKLAND COUNTY, NEW YORK

INT. ROCKLAND PSYCH CENTER - NIGHT

PAUL has just arrived and approaches student intern CYRUS who is alone at the nurse’s station.

 

PAUL

Hello there.

 

CYRUS

Oh hi.  May I help you?

 

PAUL

I’m here to visit Dan Levin.

 

CYRUS

Dan Levin?  Oh, I don’t know.  I’m not sure if he’s allowed any visitors right now.  Dr. Givens isn’t here and it’s seven o’clock.

 

PAUL

That’s nice, but I’m Dan’s step brother.  Of course I would be allowed to see him. 

 

CYRUS

Well, I’m sure, but I’m not in a position to approve visitors for the patients here.

 

PAUL

Look (reading off his name tag) Cyrus.   My name is Paul Ramos and I’m not sure if you recognize that name, but I’m a big contributor to the Rockland County Hospital as well as this Psych ward.  I’d hate to make any trouble for you but…

 

CYRUS

(sees Karen walking by)

Karen, hi.  This is Paul Ramos.  He’s here to see Dan Levin.

 

KAREN

Hello, Mr. Ramos.  I’m Karen Grissom.  I’m a nurse in this ward. 

 

PAUL

Karen.  Hmmm.  I seem to recall seeing you at my estate at one time, perhaps at one of my son’s parties?

 

KAREN

Maybe.  I haven’t been around much in the past year, but I do believe I’ve been there.

 

PAUL

Wonderful.  So are you the person I need to talk to in order to see my step brother, Dan Levin?

 

KAREN

Mr. Ramos….

 

PAUL

Call me Paul.

 

KAREN

Alright.  Paul.  Dr. Givens has given specific instructions that no one is allowed to see Dan except for his sister, Delilah.  He had an upsetting visit the other day and she’s trying to control his visitors until he gets settled back in here.

 

PAUL

But I’m his brother, surely I would be on the list of approved visitors.

 

KAREN

Actually, his sister asked that no one be allowed to see Dan, including you.  I’m sorry, Paul, but she mentioned you specifically by name.

 

PAUL

I see.   Well then, I suppose I’ll have to talk to Dee and get this all straightened out.  Thank you for your help.

 

KAREN

It’s no problem.

 

Paul walks away.

 

CYRUS

Karen, thanks.  I wasn’t sure what to say to him.  He seemed intent on seeing Dan tonight.

 

KAREN

From what I know of him, Paul Ramos likes to get whatever it is he wants.   But in this case, it’s not going to happen.

 

INT. RAMOS ESTATE - NIGHT

DANTE has just arrived and is talking with BARBARA in the family room.

 

DANTE

Barbara, have you seen my father?

 

BARBARA

He had to go out for a bit, Dante.  Do you want me to tell him you were looking for him?

 

DANTE

No, I wanted to finish our conversation from the other day.  About me coming to work for him at L&R.

 

BARBARA

Does this mean you’ve decided to accept his job offer?

 

DANTE

(laughs)

No.  I actually came to tell him to stick it.   So we’re probably both lucky he’s not home.

 

BARBARA

Dante, you know your father means well.  I’ve tried to tell him to give you some breathing room, but that’s just not his style.

 

DANTE

Nope.  And now he’s basically blackmailing me into doing what he wants.

 

BARBARA

What do you mean?

 

DANTE

He told me if I don’t enroll back in school or start working for him in six months, he’ll cut me off completely.

 

BARBARA

He said that?  I didn’t realize.

 

DANTE

Yes, he said it.  And Arden was upstairs or I would have been even more vocal in telling him what I thought about it.

 

BARBARA

Arden!  That’s an unusual name.

 

DANTE

I met her, and I can’t stop thinking about her. 

 

BARBARA

Paul told me that you had a new girl in your life, but he didn’t mention her name.  I knew an Arden once, a long time ago.

 

DANTE

I picked her up on 287 when her car was stalled.  And somehow she ended up staying in the guest house with me for a couple of days.

 

BARBARA

I think I get the picture.

 

DANTE

No.  Nothing happened.  That’s the weird part.  Normally I’d be pouring on the Ramos charm, but for some reason I didn’t do that with her.  I didn’t even touch her.

 

BARBARA

Hmmm, maybe it was love at first sight.

 

DANTE

Well, I don’t know about that.  But she’s definitely on my mind.  She’s in Manhattan now with her brother, Brian.  I’m not sure if I’ll see her again.  My Aunt Caroline told me to go find her, but I don’t want her to think I’m some stalker or something.

 

BARBARA

Her brother is Brian?  What’s Arden’s last name?

 

DANTE

You know what?  I’m not sure?  I’m pretty sure she said Morgan, but she wasn’t exactly chatty about her life.  I didn’t find out much about her at all.  Maybe the mystery is part of the attraction.

 

BARBARA

You said her brother was in Manhattan?  Do you know what part of town?

 

DANTE

He’s downtown.  When I met him he said he worked at St. John Hospital.  He’s a doctor.

 

BARBARA

A doctor!  Wow.  Impressive.

 

DANTE

Barbara, you almost seem to know who I’m talking about here.  What’s going on?

 

BARBARA

Dante, can we talk about this tomorrow morning?  Your father will be home any minute and I don’t want us to be in the middle of this conversation when he gets here.

 

DANTE

I’m not sure I understand.

 

BARBARA

Let me just say this.  There’s a good chance that I know your Arden and her brother Brian very well. 

 

DANTE

What?!  How is that possible?

 

BARBARA

Let’s talk tomorrow, okay?  I’ll fill you in on all the details then.

 

EXT. SUTTER’S MILL - NIGHT

CAROLINE is having dinner at the bar while DAMIEN is working as a bartender.

 

CAROLINE

Damien, make me one of your famous Sledgehammers, will ya?

 

DAMIEN

A sledgehammer?  On a work night?  Did you have a long day?

 

CAROLINE

I’ve had a lot of long days lately.

 

DAMIEN

Anything you want to talk about?

 

CAROLINE

No.  Not really.  I did have a nice visit from my nephew today.  That best friend of yours seems to be bit with a bit of the love bug.

 

DAMIEN

Ha.  You’re right.  We met this girl and suddenly my best friend, the player, has lost all his moves.

 

CAROLINE

It’s cute.  I’m glad to see him meet someone he has more than a one night interest in.

 

DAMIEN

Yeah, it’s good for him.

 

CAROLINE

So what about you?  Is there anything new in your love life?

 

DAMIEN

Well, maybe.

 

CAROLINE

That maybe sounds like a definite yes to me.

 

DAMIEN

Let’s just say that I was seeing someone for a while, and things didn’t work out, but now we’re seeing each other again.

 

CAROLINE

Who is she?  Do I know her?

 

DAMIEN

Oh, I don’t think you do.  We didn’t take things public the first go round and things are even more private this time.

 

CAROLINE

Why all the secrecy?  Dating someone famous that we’d all know?

 

DAMIEN

It just needs to be this way for now.  But I’m hoping it will all change very soon.

 

CAROLINE

I hope so too.  You look happy, Damien.  I’m happy for you.

 

DAMIEN

Thanks, Caroline.  She isn’t someone you might expect me to be with, but I think we have a shot, ya know?

 

CAROLINE

That’s awesome.  I can’t wait to meet her.

 

 

 

 

EXT. ANGELA GIVEN’S HOUSE - NIGHT

ANGELA is sitting at her computer reading her email.

 

ANGELA

Oooh, and email from BurnDoc.

 

Angela starts reading the email.

 

ANGELA

Hi Angela.  I just have a minute before I run off to work.  I got a surprise visitor today, my sister.  I haven’t seen her in a long time (long story) and this visit came out of the blue.  I hope this doesn’t force me to change our plans for finally meeting in person tomorrow night.  I will email you as soon as I know for sure.  I know we said we didn’t want to talk on the phone before we met, but I’m going to give you my cell phone number just in case we need to talk tomorrow.  It’s 917-555-4479.  I’m looking forward to seeing you, Angela.  Brian.

 

Angela exits out of her email.

 

 

ANGELA

Well, I know Brian didn’t leave the flowers.  He doesn’t even know where I live.

 

Angela hears a knock on the door.

 

ANGELA

Now who could that be?

 

Angela walks to the door and opens it and sees Manny.

 

MANNY

Hello, Ang.

 

ANGELA

(stunned to see him)

Manny?  What are you doing here?

 

 

MANNY

I’m back in town.  For good this time.

 

ANGELA

Back in town?  Why not?  Why after five years would you come back here?

 

MANNY

Well, if you’ll let me in maybe I could explain it to you.

 

ANGELA

No.

 

MANNY

Angela, I know we didn’t leave things in a very good place, but we have a chance here to start over.  I was a fool to leave Rockland back then and I’ve always regretted it.  Just let me in so we can talk.

 

ANGELA

I don’t think so.  I want you to leave.

 

MANNY

Ang, don’t.  I’ve been thinking about the moment that I see you again after all this time and it never ended with you not even talking to me.

 

ANGELA

Then I guess you’re not much of a realist.  You’re not coming in, Manny.  Not tonight, not ever.  Now go!

 

MANNY

(hurt)

Okay.  I don’t know what else to say.  I’m staying at the Suffern Inn if you change your mind.

 

ANGELA

I won’t.

 

MANNY

Then I’ll say goodnight.  But I won’t say goodbye.  We have too much unfinished business for that.

 

ANGELA

Goodbye, Manny.

 

Angela shuts the door

 

ANGELA

(to herself)

What is he doing back here?!!!  Wait, it was him!  Manny wrote the note and sent the flowers.  It had to be him!