Chapter 19
SALEM UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL
Kimberly and Shane had stepped out to give Brady and Theresa some privacy.
BRADY: So...how are you?
THERESA: I'm okay. I...um, I started going to a program. I'm staying here at the hospital. Getting myself clean.
BRADY: That's good. I'm glad for you.
THERESA: Thanks. How are you?
BRADY: I'm good. Yeah, things are good.
There was a long silence.
THERESA: So, before you say anything else, I just want to tell you how sorry I am...for everything. I know that what I did was wrong and sick, and I could have killed you. And, I'm just really sorry.
BRADY: I know. I appreciate the apology. But, it wasn't entirely you. I'm an addict, as well, and I knew I shouldn't have started again when you brought it up. I wasn't in a very good place at the time, either.
THERESA: Well, you look like you're a lot better now.
BRADY: I'm taking it day by day. That's all you can do.
THERESA: Yeah.
Another silence.
BRADY: Theresa...
THERESA: Jeannie. Please, I'd like to be called by my first name now. Jeannie.
BRADY: Okay. Jeannie, there's another reason I came here.
JEANNIE: What is it?
BRADY: I have someone for you to meet.
JEANNIE: Yeah, I was kinda wondering about the baby.
BRADY: Well, Jeannie, I'd like you to meet your son.
Jeannie's mouth fell open.
JEANNIE: My..what?
BRADY: Or, more accurately, our son.
JEANNIE: What? But...but, that's impossible. I was never...
BRADY: Yes, you were.
JEANNIE: Brady, I think I'd remember...
BRADY: Remember a few weeks after we made love for the last time how you thought you were pregnant, but it turned out to just be a scare?
JEANNIE: Yeah.
BRADY: It wasn't. You really were pregnant. Kristen DiMera hired a doctor to steal the fetus from your womb and put it in her.
Jeannie thought for a moment.
JEANNIE: That's why I was having those dreams. For weeks, months even, after the scare, I kept having disturbing dreams about a doctor who injected me with some medicine. Just before he injected me, I told him I was pregnant. It wasn't a dream at all. How long have you known?
BRADY: I just found out this morning. My father rescued him from the DiMera's. I just had him checked out. He's perfectly healthy.
JEANNIE: Can I hold him?
BRADY: Of course. You're his mother.
Brady handed the baby to Jeannie. She cradled it in her arms.
JEANNIE: Hey. Hi, little guy. I'm your mama.
The baby cooed.
JEANNIE: Hi.
Tears formed in Jeannie's eyes. Brady put a hand on her shoulder.
BRADY: Hey. It's okay.
JEANNIE: I know. It's just...
Jeannie took a deep breath.
JEANNIE (voice breaking): You have no idea what this means to me. For the longest time, I've felt empty. I felt like a huge part of me was dead inside. And now, seeing this adorable baby boy that you and I created...I don't feel empty anymore. The part of me that was dead is alive again.
Jeannie took another deep breath. She was crying. Brady knelt down and put an arm around her. After a few minutes, and some deep breaths, Jeannie calmed down.
JEANNIE: You need to take care of him for me, Brady. I'm sorry, but I can't do this from the hospital. I need to stay here and get better, not just for me, but for our baby.
BRADY; I know. Once you feel better and get out of here, we'll discuss arrangements. Until then, I'll bring him by all the time so you can see him.
Brady wiped a tear from Jeannie's eye.
JEANNIE: Thanks. I'd like that. So, does he have a name?
BRADY; Kristen gave him a name, but I don't know what it is. Even if I did, we wouldn't use that. I have an idea: why don't we name him together? What do you think his name should be?
JEANNIE: Well, I always dreamed of having at least two kids, a boy and a girl. I've always wanted to name the boy Shane after my father. What about you?
BRADY: You know, I've never really thought about it.
Brady thought for a moment.
BRADY: I guess his first name could be Shane and his middle name could be Victor, after my grandfather.
JEANNIE: Shane Victor Black. I like that. Brady, thank you again, so much. This is the happiest I've been in forever.
Outside the room, Daniel walked up to the nurse's station.
DANIEL: Hey, Maxine. I'm back. My trip took a little longer than the two weeks I was expecting. Have I missed anything?
Maxine stared at Daniel for a moment.
MAXINE: I'm not even gonna try. Just go back home, Daniel. Just go home.
~~~
FILM STUDIO
There was complete silence. Then, Dewey, Cheatham and Howe stood up and clapped.
DEWEY: Bravo! Bravo!
CHEATHAM: That was beautiful!
HOWE: I love it!
SAMI: Thanks. Thank you.
DEWEY: It's perfect. The perfect ending.
CHEATHAM: Let's get started on getting this thing written for screen.
SAMI: Wait. Before you go, there's just one little thing I'd like to add.
HOWE: Okay, let's hear it.
SAMI: At the very end, I want there to be a curtain call sort of thing. My fictional self, J.J., Paige, Jeannie and Tony walk out on the stage of a theater...
~~~
THEATER
Sami, J.J., Paige, Jeannie and Tony walk out from behind a curtain.
TONY: If we shadows have offended...
SAMI: Think but this, and all is mended...
PAIGE: That you have but slumbered here...
JEANNIE: While these visions did appear...
J.J.: And this weak and idle theme, no more yielding...
ALL: But a dream.
THE END
Tune in to “Adventures in the Land Down Under”, starting Monday, 3/2.
