Along a road on a foggy moonlit night...
Nick, driving his Mustang, listens as Alex fusses about Derek going by off himself, telling Nick he shouldn't have let him go alone. Nick replies that he told him not to go by himself. She dials the cell phone worried that he hasn't called in but gets no answer. Nick reminds her the contact in town was so paranoid he told Derek to come alone. She puts the phone down in disgust. Derek had told her the town had a rash of suicides but she frets out loud that he has no concept of danger and throws himself head first into things and she "hates it when he takes off like that."
Nick pulls out a small computerized tracking device and turns it on as he replies, "That's why I always have a Plan B," and tells her he put it on the spare tire of Derek's car. Alex grins delightedly, "Aren't you the Eagle scout." As they get close to the town, the device picks up the signal and they figure it's just off the highway.
Suddenly, Derek appears in the middle of the foggy road. Nick swerves quickly, stops the car and they get out. Derek, very pale, looks at them with terrified, wide eyes and points a gun, shouting, "Get out, get away from here." He fires the gun in their direction and the bullets shatter the Mustang's windows. Alex, now crouching behind the car, begs Derek to let them help him. He waves the gun around and appears to be talking to himself, "What are you talking about! I won't do it! I won't kill my friends!" With that, he places the gun in his mouth. Very quickly, from the side, Nick tackles him and deflects the gun away from his face just as Derek pulls the trigger. The bullet strikes Derek's chest and he collapses on the ground. Nick tells Alex to put pressure on the wound with her scarf and takes his coat off to cover him. Derek opens his eyes briefly, looks at them and tells them to get out. Then he loses consciousness as Alex screams his name.
Rose Mercy General Hospital - ER
The paramedics push Derek into the ER on a stretcher. His BP is 60, Pulse 120, and Respirations 6 . There is an entry wound but no exit. The doctors call for a chest tube and to get an OR ready. They hang blood, IV's and give medications as his condition continues to deteriorate. They tell Alex to leave and force her out of the room. Derek goes into cardiac arrest. They defibrillate him many times before they get his heart to start beating again. After one of the shocks, a thick black smoke leaves his body and disappears under the gurney.
Waiting area
Nick tries to enter the ER and is stopped by a deputy. They argue and the deputy tells him that the problem in the town is theirs not his. A middle aged woman with glasses enters and introduces herself as Dr. Alcott, the Chief of Staff. She assures the deputy she'll handle the situation and he leaves, but not before telling Nick to stay in town.. She smiles at Nick and tells him they don't like outside help. Nick asks to see Derek but she tells him unless he's family he can't. "Those are the rules, he's not your father, is he?". Nick looking concerned, "No we work together. He's the boss." She replies understandingly and comments that she hopes he's up to minding the store then. She smiles and leaves.
Alex, totally preoccupied, walks in and goes right to Nick who embraces her in a tight hug. He tells her Rachel is on her way. Alex, with her face buried in Nick's shoulder, tells him she's scared. He replies, very comfortingly, that he knows and then encourages her to come outside to get some fresh air. They break their hug and walk out supporting each other.
Later that night - Waiting room
Rachel comes in, meets Alex and Nick and asks how he is. Nick tells her he's still in surgery. Rachel focuses on Alex who looks like she's in shock. She sits next to her and asks how she is. Alex, in a monotone, replies, "Fine, You just should never have let him go alone."
Hospital hallway
A nurse leads Alex, Rachel and Nick down the hall and tells them he won't come around for hours and that she told their associate the same thing . Nick clearly doesn't know who she is talking about and they all hurry into the room
Derek's room
They enter and find a tall man in a beige long coat standing over Derek. Nick says firmly, "I hope you have business here, friend." The man turns around and Nick sees his face and says, "Mr. Sloan, What's the head of the London house doing here? We didn't call you." Sloan, addressing Nick as "Mr. Boyle", replies that the Legacy has contacts that monitor police bands. Nick replies that they're handling it and Sloan informs them that is not the way the Legacy handles a crisis and says ominously, "Until Derek is well enough to resume his duties, if he ever is, I'm going to be in charge." He turns and leaves. Nick stares after him but says nothing. Derek lies unconscious on the bed, surrounded by equipment and monitors with tubes all over him.
Hallway - outside the room
Sloan tells them that he knew that eventually Derek would get into trouble he couldn't get out of. Nick is angry and asks if that's because Derek doesn't follow "company rules." Sloan responds that Derek never follows anyone's rules. He makes them up as he goes along. Rachel snaps back that so do they. Alex reminds everyone that Derek is fighting for his life. Nick, willing to proceed, tells Sloan that if this is his investigation, "lets do it."
Sloan asks why Derek was there in the first place and they tell him that last week, Mr. Broward, who Derek knew through the Luna Foundation called. He's the editor at the local paper and told Derek there was a problem in Rose County. Broward had insisted that Derek come alone and all they know is there was a rash of violent suicides over the past few weeks.
Sloan is extremely annoyed that Derek didn't tell the Legacy he was initiating an investigation. He decides they'll see Broward first, but they need Derek's journals and asks where the car is located. Nick replies enigmatically that the car is outside of town somewhere and Derek never checked into a hotel. Sloan looks puzzled and asks Nick if there's any way to trace it. Nick lies and says, "No." Sloan looks at Alex who stares at the floor. Nick looks toward her and Sloan watches the two of them.
Rainy night
Sloan drives, telling Nick that he knows he doesn't trust him but he'll have to "get over it" if they're going to be working together. Nick tells him that it's not that easy. Sloan replies nothing in life is easy but he "Shouldn't listen to everything Derek tells you about me. Obviously he's told you we've had our differences and disagreements in the field. I won't deny there are unresolved issues between us." Nick sarcastically replies "Get over it." Sloan laughs and replies, "Oh we will, someday we will."
Rose County Chronicle building
As Sloan and Nick pull up, an ambulance outside takes a man that fell from his bike away to the hospital, despite his protests . A discarded syringe package is left by the bike.
Sloan and Nick enter the Chronicle Building and knock on Broward's door. He comes out, looking frightened and listens as Nick tells him they're there about Dr. Rayne, who shot himself that evening and they want to know why he wanted to talk with him. Broward is obviously terrified and tells them they have bad information about him and their friend Derek. He tells them he'll send someone to Rose Mercy for the story. Nick frustrated, tells Broward that the story is there and they want it. Sloan quickly grabs Nick's arm, "It's OK, Mr. Boyle," and thanks Broward. He then ushers Nick outside.
Hallway - near elevator
Nick is upset because Sloan let Broward off the hook and doesn't understand why, because it's obvious the man is lying...Sloan tells Nick he has his reasons, and asks if Derek would've had him break Broward's knee-caps. "Is that how Derek would have handled it?" Nick angry, replies that its easy to kick him while he' s down. Sloan, who obviously has lots of history with Derek, tells Nick he's kicked him harder when he's been up. Nick pushes the elevator button and says he's going back to the hospital. Sloan tells him he can't and that they need to stay together. Nick, still angry, asks why. Sloan, making direct eye, proclaims, "You're so impatient. I knew your father, he was an impatient man too. One of the great ones, your dad."
Nick, staring Sloan directly in the eye, is obviously shaken by that comment and replies bitingly, "Well, I hate to tear down your idol Mr Sloan, but Pop wasn't much of a hero on the home front." The elevator comes and opens. Sloan, keeping intense eye contact, replies, "Nevertheless, you're a lot like him." Nick stares back, doesn't get on the elevator and lets the elevator doors close. He then asks Sloan what the hell they're doing there. Sloan tells him waiting for Mr. Broward who "will be along shortly very shortly, trust me."
Hospital
Rachel and Alcott discuss Derek. Alcott tells her that she can't let Derek be transferred to San Francisco until he stabilizes. Rachel asks for the chart and wants to see toxicology and brain chemistry results. She also requests to see the charts of the suicide victims. Alcott says she has to check with the hospital board first because of the legal issues but she promises she will ask and gives her Derek's chart before she leaves.
Chronicle Building
Broward, looking very frightened, sneaks out of his office and goes to the elevator. He realizes there's a man in the shadows following him and is extremely nervous. When the elevator doors open he rushes inside. From the other side of the waiting area, Sloan and Nick emerge and get into the elevator with him. Sloan urges him to explain what's going on. Broward begins by saying that Derek never showed up. Under Sloan's gentle urging, he continues to tell them that the townspeople are changing and he's sure it's not his imagination. He tells them he's sorry he called Derek, but it was due to his best friend "feeding himself a bullet" 2 weeks prior. He has no idea why, except that for the last 2 weeks of his life he "wasn't himself, he was someone completely different." They leave the elevator.
Hospital
Alex leans over the unconscious Derek, gently touching his face and arm. She speaks softly and encouragingly, "Hey Teach, school's not out yet. Don't die on me, Derek." Alcott comes in and observes, "You care for him, don't you?" Alex replies that he was her mentor in college and they go back a few years. Alcott, smiling, replies, "It's more than that, I can see it," and tells Alex that they're all praying for him. She adds she hopes Alex gets a chance to let him know how she really feels. With that, she leaves. Alex looks puzzled and concerned about the conversation
Rose County Chronicle building
As Sloan and Nick leave the building, they're stopped by the deputy who tells Nick he's out past curfew. Nick replies he was unaware there was one. The deputy informs him it's a curfew only for him because he doesn't want him bothering people asking questions. Another deputy then comes up behind Nick and stands there. Sloan asks the deputy how he knows they're asking questions. The deputy, who hadn't addressed Sloan at all, asks Nick if he's with the group. Nick sarcastically replies, "Yeah, unfortunately for us." Sloan glances sharply at Nick before continuing, reminding the deputy they have a right to conduct their own investigation and they'll stay until they're satisfied, then they'll go. With a final warning, the deputies leave.
Nick wryly comments that he's been shot by nicer people. Sloan turns and faces Nick and very angrily tells him, "Don't ever undermine me like that again, Mr. Boyle." Nick tells him that Derek runs a more democratic ship and he's allowed to think for himself. Sloan tells him he can "think what he likes, it's what you say that concerns me." Nick sarcastically replies, "So its your way or the highway, is that the deal?" Sloan turns away and walks toward the car saying, "That's the deal." Nick stands on the steps, "Maybe I'll take the highway."
Sloan turns back to Nick, looks him directly in the eye and says sternly, "No you won't. I know you better than you think I do. You may disagree with my methods but you won't abandon your team in a crisis because you've been down that road before haven't you?" Nick, stunned, just stares at him while Sloan continues, "And you're not a very good liar. Neither is Alex. I believe you may have some idea where Derek's car is right? So lets do it." He gets in the car and starts the engine and waits while Nick stands on the step staring at the car.
Hospital room
Alex strokes Derek's arm and has a vision of him losing consciousness in the car and Derek telling her to get out. She's very shaken by this and leaves the room, and walks down the hall. She notices that there are several people who are acting zombie-like. As she walks by a nurses station, one of them stands up and asks if she needs help. As she stands, she pierces her hand on the spike for holding messages. The nurse merely looks at the spike in her hand with no other response. Alex, obviously frightened, stops in front of an orderly and the nurse comes up behind her and sticks a needle in her neck saying, "I really hope that didn't hurt too much." Alex falls to the floor and slowly loses consciousness.
Car- Foggy night
Sloan drives and Nick monitors the tracking device. Sloan wonders how the people that Broward talked about were changing. Nick tells him that Derek changed and wonders if he was drugged or caught the mass hysteria. Sloan notes that the "masses don't seem that hysterical, do they?. Except for those that kill themselves." He wonders if they could be possessed, commenting that the Legacy has seen demonic possession pushing people to suicidal madness. Nick tells Sloan that Derek was struggling with something that had a grip on him. Sloan guesses that maybe Derek lost the fight for control of his will even though he resisted it. Nick, however, adamantly replies that Derek won the fight because he's sure Derek would have killed himself to avoid killing them.
The tracker then indicates the car and they find it off the road. While searching it, Sloan finds an empty syringe package marked Rose Mercy General on it and Nick finds an empty syringe in the car.
Hospital
Rachel reads Derek's chart while she buys coffee from a vending machine. She spills the hot coffee as an orderly walks by and it burns his hand. He keeps moving as if nothing is wrong.
Alcott enters and tells her Derek's condition has been upgraded from critical. She also notes that , while the suicide charts are in the morgue, she couldn't get permission for her to see them. Rachel notes that Derek has abnormal adrenal function numbers and asks why there was no follow-up on the results since it could mean Derek was a victim of overdose or poisoning. . Alcott tells her they do things "differently" and tells her she's out of her jurisdiction. She then leaves.
Morgue
Rachel sneaks in to look for the charts. Alex enters quietly. As Rachel looks through the charts, Alex stabs her in the neck with a syringe. She falls to the floor as Alex tells her "Its going to be all right now, Rachel."
Rachel wakes up and finds that she's restrained to an operating room table. Alcott stands over her and tells her that those that committed suicide didn't surrender their will. She tells Rachel she's pleased she's going to join them, and that she's going to give her a little piece of herself just like she did to Derek and Alex. It will grow inside her and stop her pain. She then climbs on top of Rachel and tells her she was in pain from cancer once and she prayed but god didn't listen. But fallen angels did and one came to her in her suffering and took her pain away. Alcott says, "the miracle now flows from me," and red and black mist comes from her mouth and goes into Rachel's mouth.
Derek's room - Hospital
Nick enters, smiles, and tells the sleeping Derek that he's glad he's such a lousy shot or they'd both be lying there. He looks down and says thoughtfully, "I dont know about you, Boss, but I gotta wonder if this job's worth dying for."
Sloan enters and tells Nick to find Alex and Rachel because they have to get out of there. Nick gets reassurance from Sloan they won't leave without Derek, then goes to find them. Sloan warns quietly as Nick leaves, "Watch yourself." Nick replies "yeah" and leaves the room.
In the hallway, Nick finds Broward sitting zombie-like in a wheelchair. Broward, speaking in a monotone, tells Nick that the pain is gone and it's beautiful, and not to fight it. Nick asks who got him and he tells Nick they took him to the doctor, and she was wonderful.
Derek's room
Derek slowly opens his eyes asking, "Nick, is that you?" Sloan moves into his sight and asks him how he feels. Derek, weakly replies, "My god, I finally made it to hell." Sloan replies, "You look like hell." Derek tells him he has a good excuse, "What's yours? Where is Nick, Alex, and Rachel?" Sloan solemnly replies that Nick has gone to find Alex and Rachel because they need to get out of there as, "None of us are safe here."
Hospital Hallway
Nick finally sees Rachel and as he's walking towards her, 2 deputies attack him. He fights them off and overcomes them. He then goes to Rachel and hugs her, telling her they have to leave. She strikes him in the back with the needle saying, "I don't want to leave and neither will you." He falls to the floor and loses consciousness.
Derek's Room
Sloan tells Derek they talked to Broward and there is something real there, making people kill themselves. "You tried to kill yourself. Do you remember? Think back." Derek tells him he was run off the road . Sloan continues his gentle interrogation, "I know they brought you here to the hospital. Do you remember anything after that?"
Derek recalls that something evil was put in his soul by a woman. Then he remembers it was the doctor and her name was Alcott. Sloan, with raised eyebrows, comments, "She is the source?" Derek nods and tells Sloan that she takes control of her victims and must be destroyed. Sloan asks if what she put in him is still there. Derek is certain it's gone because before, even though he resisted it with all his soul, he could still feel her in him controlling him. He asks, "What happened to me?"
Sloan, tells him that he died and that he was clinically dead for over a minute until they were successful in resuscitating him. Derek weakly notes, "You're worried, aren't you?" Sloan replies, "Hold on, OK?" and he pulls Derek's bed out into the hall.
Morgue
Sloan pulls Derek's bed into the morgue. Derek looks around and protests, "I'm not dead. Why am I in the morgue?" Sloan looking around, replies, "You'll be safe here."
Derek, pale and tired looking with the oxygen cannula in place in his nose, weakly asks, "You realize this is the first 15 minutes we've ever been together, we didn't disagree?"
Sloan looks at his watch, "We haven't made a breakthrough yet, you still have 4 minutes to put up a fight." Derek responds, "So do you."
Sloan takes up the challenge, "OK. You want to talk about what happened in Nairobi?" Derek responds and they continue bantering back and forth. "I can't believe you're still bringing that up." Sloan - "What about Al Kuhfa." Derek - "I don't want to talk about Al Kuhfa."
Sloan looking at Derek with a concerned expression, "All right, wouldn't be a fair fight anyway, you're not up to it." Derek responds weakly, "Please, find Alex and Rachel and take them out of here. Leave me." Sloan, with a strong stare at Derek, replies: "Would you leave me?" He turns and exits the morgue, leaving Derek, .barely conscious, in his bed.
Hallway
Sloan, hiding in the shadows of a doorway, watches two white uniformed male attendants pushing a stretcher down the hall. On that stretcher is Nick, unconscious. Sloan waits until they pass, then follows discreetly.
Emergency Room
Nick awakens and sees Dr. Alcott who asks him, "How are we doing tonight?". He begins struggling and finds that he's totally immobilized by the restraints. Seeing Alex standing there he implores, "Alex, you gotta help me outta here, please!" as he continues struggling futilely against the straps holding him to the stretcher. Alex does nothing so he begs Rachel "Rachel, come on! We're the only ones that can stop this! If you let them take me, it's over!"
As Alex tells Nick in a soothing voice, "Don't fight us Nick, Relax", Sloan enters the room. Since there are curtains separating the cubicles, they can't see him.
Nick continually struggles against the restraints. Rachel tries to calm him, "It's all right, Nick, relax. It hurts at first but it goes away quickly."
Sloan looks around and sees the defibrillator machine, turns it on and sets it at 300, the highest setting.
Dr. Alcott moves close to the stretcher, "Trust me, Your soul is a small price to pay for the gift I'm giving you, dear." As she climbs on top of Nick and straddles him with her legs, she adds, "It's a beautiful thing, not to care, not to worry, not to feel."
Sloan, with the charged paddles, moves close to the curtain.
Nick looks directly at Rachel, "What about Kat. Who's going to take care of Kat?" Rachel looks confusedly at Dr. Alcott.
Suddenly, Sloan parts the curtain and walks in, "Dr. Alcott, I don't believe I've had the pleasure…..." and he reaches towards her and puts the fully charged paddles up to her chest "…..or the pain!"
The electricity hits her. She jolts backwards, flying off of Nick and through the air landing with a crash into the equipment and supply cabinet. She falls to the floor, blood coming from her mouth and from a wound on her chest. She tries to sit up and realizes there is a bone saw protruding through her chest. She puts her hand on the end of the saw, then falls back and dies.
A red mist comes from her mouth then and a black mist comes from the wound and flies around the room crazily. The black mist strikes first Alex, then Rachel, which causes the red mist to come out of their mouths, joining the mist from Dr. Alcott, and continues flying about the room. Nick and Sloan watch as it zings throughout the room.
Outside the room, Broward, sitting in the wheelchair, is struck by the black mist and the red mist comes out of his mouth also. The mists then go to the Emergency Room and co-mingle for a while and then finally disappear into the floor. Sloan looks closely at Alex and Rachel, until he is confident they have returned to themselves, and finally he gazes at Dr. Alcott's body.
Legacy House - Foyer - weeks later
Sloan and Nick come down the stairs. Nick wearing a black turtleneck, asks, "So. Derek never mentioned what happened between you two." Sloan smiles, "Just as well, we have to say it's old business." Derek walks out into the foyer, wearing a black shirt and a brown tie with beige dots and comments, "We're never going to resolve it." Sloan looks at him, "Probably not, knowing you as well as I do." Derek walks right up to Sloan and making eye contact replies, "and I you." They hold stares. Nick comments wryly, "So it's a draw, then." Sloan smiles , "No, no, this is an impasse, right, Derek?" Derek looks at Sloan, "Used to be, but I don't think it is anymore." Sloan turns to go to the door, "I'm very pleased to hear that."
Nick asks Sloan if he'll be staying in London now that he's done in San Francisco. He replies with a smile "You'll be hearing from me, probably hearing a lot more than you'd like." He walks to the front door, turns and addressing Nick says, "Oh, and Nick, Derek will tell you. We're never done anywhere." He leaves the Legacy House.
Courtyard outside Legacy House
Outside on the lawn, Nick does tae kwon do exercises while thinking;
Voice-over
"I hadn't realized how committed Derek is to the Legacy, to his friends, to us. I guess I never truly accepted how difficult a job he has. I know now, that none of this will ever be easy. And like Sloan says, It's not supposed to be."
Description last revised: October 1997