Disclaimer

-----

Inside his office, Isaac idly sits at his desk. His mind is occupied with thoughts of his wife, as sports play a smaller part of his life this morning.

Dana, still wearing her coat and carrying her luggage, enters the room.

Dana: (worried) Isaac?

Isaac: Dana.

Isaac takes advantage to occupy his mind with a different subject.

Isaac: How was your trip?

Dana: My trip was fine. The workshop was fine. More importantly, how is Esther?

Isaac's attempt fails.

Isaac: She'll be fine.

Dana: What happened?

Isaac: By the way, the flowers are beautiful. Esther wanted to send along her appreciation and thanks.

Dana: She's welcome; it was the least we could do. So what happened?

Isaac: The weatherman said it was going to be 34 degrees last night.

Dana nods and lets Isaac continue.

Isaac: I told her not to worry about the sidewalk. Not to worry about the sidewalk because the weatherman said it was going to be 34 degrees last night. I told her I didn't need to lay salt on the sidewalk.

Dana: If it got down to 32, your sidewalk would have frozen over.

Isaac: Exactly. There was no need to lay salt on the sidewalk because-

Dana: The weatherman said it was going to be 34 degrees last night.

Isaac: Exactly.

Dana: She did it out of concern for you. She worries when you come home late and the temperature drops. (pauses) What did the doctor say?

Isaac: She was fortunate when she tripped and fell. It was a fairly clean break. She should be released in another day. It will take up to three months for her broken hip to heal.

Dana: So why are you here?

Isaac: Esther told me I should be here.

Dana: You're listening to Esther.

Isaac: I figure it's best that I should.

-----

At his desk, a frustrated Jeremy hangs up his phone. Kim and Elliott walk over to hear the results of his phone call.

Jeremy: She's canceled altogether.

Kim: She canceled your date?

Elliott: Dinner date.

Jeremy: It was only going to be dinner.

Elliott: She didn't like the restaurant?

Jeremy: I changed restaurants and reservations three times. The problem is her schedule changed more times than the reservations.

Elliott: You can try for tomorrow night.

Jeremy: Our schedules are booked solid tomorrow night.

Elliott: The night after?

Jeremy: The same as tomorrow night.

Jeremy grabs his personal planner and begins flipping through it to check for his availability.

Kim: This is interesting. The tables now have turned.

Elliott: How so?

Kim: The once hunted has now become the hunter.

The two watch Jeremy try to find another time schedule a reservation.

-----

Outside of a post office, Casey carries and opens large envelope. He pulls out a piece of high-quality, fine paper. He checks the fancy border and carefully reads the Olde English print on the paper. Casey's happy to see no misspellings, especially concerning his name. He is even more thrilled to finally have earned and be holding his college diploma.

He breathes a sigh of relief and nods to himself as he slides the diploma back into its envelope. Casey stops to think momentarily. He agrees with his thought and continues on.

-----

Natalie clutches her clipboard as she enters Dan's office. Dan is seated at his desk, typing, and working on another feature.

Natalie: We've received some feedback from your soccer story, Danny.

Dan: Safety and well-being story, Natalie.

Natalie: We received a phone call and an e-mail from two youth soccer leagues stating they will be installing foam padding on their soccer goals.

Dan: Two youth soccer leagues?

Natalie: It's a start. Your soccer story has made an impact.

Dan: How many times do I have to say safety and well-being story?

Natalie: I just love the fact you did something involving soccer.

Dan: And I believe you love the idea of bugging me about soccer.

Natalie quietly agrees with Dan's last statement. Dan gets up to grab a reference book from his bookcase.

Natalie: Have you spoken with Casey this morning?

Dan: He has meetings and interviews scheduled throughout today.

Natalie: Interviews?

Dan: His agent is lining up some product endorsement deals.

Natalie: Cool.

Dan finds the book he is searching for and begins flipping through it.

Dan: He'll be doing some voice-over work. He's going to be selling deodorant and fried chicken.

Natalie: Hopefully not in the same commercial.

Dan: It depends on how badly the commercials stink.

Natalie: It'll be good for a few extra bucks.

Dan: Yeah.

Dan finds the information he needs, closes the book, and places it back on the shelf.

Natalie: So are you ready to go through with my plan?

Dan: Our plan, Natalie.

Natalie: I conceived my plan, and you're going to execute my plan.

Dan: I believe I'm the one with the most at stake here. I at least deserve double-billing.

Natalie: Okay, our plan.

Dan: Thank you.

Natalie: Do you have-

Dan: Yes, I have it all ready, Natalie.

Natalie: Then what are you waiting for?

Dan: When you walked in, did you notice I was working on a feature?

Natalie: I did notice that.

Dan: I'll do it once I've completed it.

Natalie leans over to Dan's computer. She presses a couple of keys on his keyboard.

Dan: What are you doing?

Natalie: I'm saving your work.

Dan: Okay.

Natalie: I'm saving your work so you can execute our plan.

Dan: Whatever.

Natalie reaches underneath Dan's computer and unplugs it.

Dan: You really want me to execute this plan right now.

Natalie: No, that was for giving unneeded advice to Jeremy and causing him to reconsider.

Dan: I merely suggested that he may need to rethink his quest for finding that perfect woman.

Natalie: And sometimes it takes a small tremor to start an avalanche.

Dan: Let him go out with her, Natalie.

Natalie: Why should I?

Dan: For one reason: it's Jeremy's life.

Natalie: He's not attracted to her, Danny.

Dan: Yes, he is.

Dan walks over to Natalie as she acknowledges that the farce was Jeremy denying his attraction to Lorie.

Dan: Could you please plug in my computer?

Natalie: You've now got some time to execute our plan.

Dan: Fine.

Dan walks over to Natalie.

Natalie: Why are you bent on saving the world?

Dan: I don't know. I figured I could start with myself and work on from there.

Natalie sets her clipboard on Dan's desk.

Natalie: Let's recap.

Natalie slaps Dan on the side of his head.

Dan: Hey.

Natalie: That's for giving Jeremy unneeded advice.

Dan: Okay.

Natalie leans up and kisses Dan on his right cheek.

Natalie: That's for doing your soccer story.

Dan: Safety and well-being story.

Natalie leans up and kisses Dan on his left cheek.

Natalie: That's for doing what it takes to bring back Casey.

Dan: Thank you.

-----

Dana, who has already left her coat and luggage inside her office, knocks on Sam's open door. She catches Sam at a time when he is busily trying to catch up on work.

Dana: Hey, Sam.

Sam: Dana.

Dana: Since we took separate flights back, I didn't have the opportunity to tell you I really enjoyed this trip.

Sam: The network will be glad to hear their retreats didn't browbeat their employees.

Dana: I mean... I enjoyed the time we spent together.

Sam stops his work and looks at Dana.

Dana: Our talks over lunch and dinner were great.

Sam nods.

Dana: It was great to see you loosen up. It was great to see a side of Sam Donovan few get to see.

Sam: There's more to me than a "side." I'm a little more complex than that.

Dana: You're more like a pentagon... or an octagon. There are different sides to you, Sam.

Sam: Yeah, something like that.

Dana: If you ever want to hang out sometime, I would like to.

Sam: Hang out?

Dana: Yeah. We could grab some dinner and talk.

Sam: Dana.

Dana: You're a good man, Sam.

Sam: This good man you speak of is just one side of me. There are other sides not as appealing.

Dana: Sam, nobody's perfect. I'm sure we all have our own struggles and demons.

Sam: Some more than others.

Dana: Come on, Sam.

Sam is uncomfortable with losing "control" of the conversation.

Sam: Dana, I normally don't like fraternizing with coworkers.

Dana: You seemed to have a good time with me.

Sam: Yeah.

Dana realizes she's putting a lot of pressure on Sam.

Dana: How about this? I won't set a date or time for us to hang out. We'll do it if our schedules permit it.

Sam: Okay.

Dana: So I'll check with you another time.

Sam: Yeah.

Dana: Great.

Dana turns to leave.

Sam: Dana?

Dana stops and turns around.

Dana: Yeah?

Sam: I suppose I should tell you this.

Dana moves closer.

Dana: Go ahead.

Sam: I'm going to be leaving the network.

Dana: (surprised) What?

Sam: I let Isaac know before we left for the workshop.

Dana: But... why?

Sam: I've done what I needed to do: the network is in second place.

Dana: You can stay. You can help us reach first place.

Sam: I was here to help bring this network to second place. My job has been completed.

Dana: Sam?

Sam: Dana, you have to realize once the job is completed, it's time to move on to the next challenge.

Dana: First place is your next challenge.

Sam: Another job is my next challenge.

Dana: You have another job?

Sam: Not yet, but I'm certain one will appear.

Dana: Sam-

Sam: Like you've learned, there are other sides to me. Just because you know a part of me, it doesn't mean you understand all of me.

Dana feels defeated.

Dana: Yeah.

-----

Dan knocks on Isaac's door. Isaac, who was sitting at his desk and occupying his time with paperwork, is curious when he sees Dan carrying a briefcase.

Isaac: Danny? You look like a business man.

Dan: That's good because I'm here to conduct a little business.

Isaac: Danny, I don't have much time for this. I'm conducting an interview in a few minutes, plus I want to have plenty of time to get back to the hospital.

Dan: Any more news on Esther?

Isaac: No news.

Dan: I could swing by on my lunch hour and pay her a visit.

Isaac: Thank you. She'd like that.

Dan: Great. Now I just need a minute of your time.

Isaac looks at his watch.

Isaac: Daniel.

Dan: One minute, Isaac. Then I'll be out of your hair.

Isaac: Did you notice I don't have much hair left on my head?

Dan: I didn't want to mention it.

Isaac: Okay. One minute.

Dan sets the briefcase on Isaac's desk.

Isaac: You're not going to sell me some watches, are you?

Dan: It's something better.

Dan unsnaps the two locks on the briefcase. He flips the briefcase open to reveal hundreds and hundreds of banded dollar bills. They are all neatly stacked and arranged, filling the briefcase.

Isaac: Is this the amount Dave won in the pool?

Dan: Not nearly. It's a hundred thousand dollars. That's the amount you can deduct from my contract over the next several years in order to bring back Casey.

Isaac: I would gladly accept this Danny, except that this is a network decision. They would be the ones to make the financial decision like this.

Dan: Right there in the briefcase is one-thousand one-hundred dollar bills. Do you know who's on the hundred-dollar bill?

Isaac: Benjamin Franklin.

Dan: Right.

Casey and I have worked together for over seven years, and we've known each other for several more. We trust and respect each other. We're individuals, but when together we are an amazing team.

People watch us because they want to be entertained. They want to be informed, but how it's presented is what really matters. And what matters to them is a team working together, with joy and ease, informing and entertaining them with fluid-like proficiency.

"When the well's dry, we know the worth of water." That's what Ben Franklin said. Over the last two years, I've been stranded in the desert because I haven't been able to work with Casey. Well, I know the value of water, and that's doing what it takes to bring back Casey.

To the network, the value can be one-hundred thousand dollars. To me, it's priceless.

Isaac takes a deep breath and examines the money once again.

Isaac: Daniel, did you know this money is fake?

Dan: (defensive) It was Natalie's idea.

Isaac picks up a stack of counterfeit bills.

Isaac: You two worked on this presentation?

Dan: Natalie felt it would be effective if I used some stage props. I just told you what's in my heart.

Isaac tosses the stack to Dan, and Dan catches it with both hands.

Isaac: Have you spoken with Casey about what you're willing to do?

Dan: About the hundred-thousand dollars?

Isaac: Yes.

Dan: I haven't told him.

Isaac: Good. You do know Casey feels the same way.

Dan: He spoke with you?

Isaac: He didn't give a speech equipped with props, but I know he feels the same as you.

Dan: How?

There is a knock on the open door. Dan turns and is shocked to see a professionally-dressed Casey standing in the doorway.

Dan: Casey?

Casey: Hey, Danny. I'm here for an interview.