PREVIOUSLY

Aftermath #24 continued.......

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[Scene: Todd's Sun office, the day of the simultaneous publication.]

Asa: (Bursting into Todd's office:) You lying bastard, Manning!

Todd: (Deadpan:) I see you read my paper, old man.

Asa: (Holds his copy of The Sun, unfolding it to show Todd the front page:) These are all lies, Manning!

Todd: Everything in that article was checked with actual sources.

Asa: Like who? Who did that witch speak with?

Todd: Priviledged information, Buchanan.

Asa: Did she talk to her cousin Kelly?

Todd: How should I know? Maybe your house is bugged, Buchanan.

Asa: If it is, you put them there.

Todd: Why would I bother? Obviously I can get all the dirt on you I want other ways.

Asa: It was that she-wolf ex of yours, wasn't it? It's Blair's By-line.

Todd: You married her, too. Since Blair wrote it, why don't you go bark up her tree? Or are your climbing days over? What a shame if they are, you and Renee are still on your Honeymoon.

Asa: (Hissing:) And what about you and your little chica?

Todd: (Bristling:) What about Tea? You don't talk about my wife, old man.

Asa: Aww, Manning. Strike a nerve?

Todd: No more than my insulting your wife would.

Asa: Don't you bring Renee into this!

Todd: Strike a nerve, Buchanan?

Asa: How did Blair concoct this story?

Todd: Why did you?

Asa: I did not, but you did!

Todd: Sorry, Buchanan, but I did not fake my illness. You did. There are documents to prove my illness was real. There are informants, witnesses, to yours that place you as having admitted to them that you were faking your illness.

Asa: Who are they?

Todd: (Grins at Asa:) That would be telling.

Asa: That tape sure puts the lie to any bogus documents you could produce to try to prove otherwise, Manning.

Todd: Actually, that tape helps prove it was a real, not faked, illness. You can think what you want, Buchanan. Put your own house in order before you come after mine.

Asa: I bet it was that yellow-haired, yellow-bellied turncoat Kelly Cramer!

Todd: (Mockingly, slightly mincingly:) Now, Asa, your blood pressure....

Asa: Don't you "blood pressure" me, Manning!

Todd: (Casual voice:) I can raise your blood pressure at will, just by walking into the same room.

Asa: (Growling through clenched teeth:) That's because you're scum, Manning, garbage.

Todd: (Eyes flash briefly, evenly:) You're no better, old man. Your problem is I frustrate you.

Asa: (Seething:) You're a lowlife who belongs behind bars for the rest of your life.

Todd: (Still coolly:) You've tried it before, Big Daddy. Your time is up and you've still failed. If I'm scum, Asa, then why bother with me at all? The fact that you keep coming after me must mean you think I have value and worth.

Asa: No, you just have something I want.

Todd: Which you only want in order to silence me. You don't want the truth to come out about you, do you?

Asa: What truth? All you have are allegations, nothing substantiated.

Todd: Blair can produce her sources at will, I'm sure.

Asa: See, I bet she doesn't have any and went off half-cocked as usual.

Todd: That's where you're wrong, she does have sources, as well she should for her articles. I'm just not privvy to them.

Asa: You lie, Manning.

Todd: So do you. You faked a major mental illness so you could trick Alex into giving you that money back. Only it failed, and now your kids have to wonder if the Buchanan Family Madness is part of their inheritance along with your money.

Asa: And your kid's not gonna wonder that?

Todd: Mine was not hereditary. Blair's a Cramer, it's anyone's guess.

Asa: What about your sister, Viki? And we all know about the Cramer Family Madness.

Todd: Yes, we do know about the Cramer Curse. Viki's illness wasn't hereditary, and neither was mine. Blair has yet to be noticably stricken with the Cramer Curse, Blair being Blair. Then again, how would anyone know?

Asa: You're not fit to walk the streets, Manning. Your paper's not fit to line a birdcage with.

Todd: (Mockingly incredulous:) My bird refuses to mess his cage on my paper. He prefers The Banner.

Asa: Does Viki know this?

Todd: (Slightly patronizing:) It's a running gag between us, of course she knows.

Asa: Maybe that bird knows something you don't.

Todd: Doubtful. He's just a bird. You'll never take my paper, and try as you might, you'll never take me down, old man.

Asa: (Growling:) Oh, yes I will. Bend over, Manning, 'cos here I come. When I get through with you, there won't be anything left.

Todd: (Brow wrinkles briefly.) Fat chance. Now everyone knows what you've been up to, how you operate.

Asa: And everyone knows what your father did to you.

Todd: That's now a matter of public record. Your point is?

Asa: I'm just wondering if you enjoyed it, everyone knows you're a lying, sick bastard.

Todd: (Shock flashes across his face briefly.) What do you seriously think, old man? That's pretty sick, even for you.

Asa: Did you, Manning?

Todd: That's disgusting, Buchanan!

Asa: Strike a nerve, Manning?

Todd: Is this how you get your jollies, Asa? Raping children? Guess I'd better warn Tina's kids!

Asa: I would never hurt Cordero's kids! They're my own flesh and blood!

Todd: Yes, you would! Every time you went after my sister Tina, you were hurting those kids.

Asa: Tina's no better than you are, she's --

Todd: (Shouting angrily:) Don't you go after my sister! Out! Out of my office, before I call Security! You've said what you wanted to say, now get out!

Asa: You will print a retraction of that article --

Todd: (Seething:) I will not. If you want minced words, try a sous chef. You don't dictate what I print in my newspaper, Buchanan.

Asa: I'll sue this paper out from under you!

Todd: (Coolly:) Try it, Buchanan. (Goes to his phone and poises to dial.) On your own, or escorted by my Security force? Your choice.

Asa: (Turns on his toes to leave, turns around again.) This isn't over, Manning. (Leaves.)

Todd: (Cradles the phone, his face wrinkling in pain, sits hard in his desk chair holding his head. Painfully crosses to the middle of the room but his knees seem to buckle and he balls up on the floor on his knees holding his head in obvious agony, his forehead on the floor.)

Viki: (Arrives, knocks on his open door.) Hello? (Finds Todd on the floor. Rushes over to him, closing his office door.) Todd? Honey, what's wrong?

Todd: (Long, agonized pause. With difficulty:) Headache.

Viki: (Very concerned, kneals close to him on one knee, strokes his hair and back gently:) What caused this?

Todd: (Straining:) Asa.

Viki: You argued with Asa?

Todd: (Agonized nod.)

Viki: Over the articles?

Todd: (Agonized nod. Straining:) No more words!

Viki: (Gathers him against her on the floor.) No more words until you're ready.

[Scene ends.]

[Scene: Todd's office. Todd's head is in Viki's lap, he faces outward, curled up on the couch next to her. The lighting is somewhat subdued.]

Viki: (Stroking his hair soothingly:) You just rest here. No one will hurt you.

Todd: (Agony, holding his head between his hands, eyes squeezed shut:) Why does it hurt so much?

Viki: The headaches?

Todd: (Breathless:) Yeah.

Viki: You know why, you can feel it.

Todd: (Miserable:) You say it. Hurts too much.

Viki: There's a struggle going on inside of you. I could see it in your eyes when you opened them and looked at me.

Todd: (Breathing again:) I managed not to scream this time.

Viki: Did it help?

Todd: (Pain seems to have lessened.) No. Most of the screaming's stopped I think. Tom stopped crying, I think.

Viki: Good. Can you tell me what happened?

Todd: (Very pained:) The articles. The rape.

Viki: Yours?

Todd: (Nods. Breathing difficultly through pain, as Viki rubs his temple:) Asa went after me to try to use it against me. He said some pretty sick things, tried to make like he was threatening to do it to me in fact. (Groans in relief, body relaxing somewhat.)

Viki: That's horrible, even for Asa. Better?

Todd: (Nods.) Made me wonder what he did with those boys of his. I wouldn't even wish that on Bo, despite everything. I bet no one's ever done it to Asa, or he wouldn't've said that.

Viki: What exactly did he say?

Todd: Asked me if I had enjoyed it. That's pretty sick and twisted. (Looks physically ill at the thought, hugs himself, groaning once.)

Viki: Are you all right, Todd?

Todd: (Strained, small voice:) No.

Viki: (Thinks as she observes him, alternately stroking his face and his hair.) I think I know what you're feeling.

Todd: You do?

Viki: (Plays gently with his long hair, soothing him.) Yeah. You look sick to your stomach. Do you still feel you enjoyed it? Did your body react?

Todd: (Looking very ashamed and upset:) Yes. It did.

Viki: Todd, sweetheart, the body is wired to react to stimulation. Whatever Peter did to you, your body's reactions weren't under your control. I can see your revulsion about it.

Todd: (Upset:) But it reacted.

Viki: (Mirroring back to him:) In opposition to what you wanted it to do.

Todd: But I didlike it, Sis.

Viki: If you say you liked it, what was it that felt good to you about it?

Todd: He wasn't hitting me. Most of it didn't hurt. (Voice breaks.) The hitting and the name-calling and the burning kind of stuff were the worst parts of it.

Viki: (Hugging him.) Oh, Todd. My dear baby brother.

Todd: (Tries not to cry, curls up tighter.)

Viki: (Stroking his hair, quietly:) It's ok if you need to cry about this, I won't tell, and it's something worth crying about. I know it hurts you and I know better than anyone else how frightening and confusing that experience can be. You didn't deserve what Peter did to you, Todd, just as I didn't deserve what our father did to me.

Todd: (Losing the battle, curling up, starting to cry hard, sobbing hard:) I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm so pathetic, Sis. I'm so weak. It's all my fault.

Viki: (Cooingly:) Husssh. Husssssh. It wasn't your fault, Todd. You were too young to fight him off and in no position to tell him no. What choice did you have?

Todd: (Crying, hugging his head with one arm.) None.

Viki: (Waits for him to gain some control, stroking his hair and face.) You look so tired, sweetheart. I'll stay here and you can rest like this if you'd like to.

Todd: (Chokes out:) Don't leave, Sis.

Viki: I'm not going anywhere. I'll watch over you as you sleep if you want to sleep. I'll do the big sister thing.

Todd: (Crying subsiding:) So tired......

Viki: I know. This can be exhausting. Do you want to lie down without me on the couch?

Todd: (Panic rising:) You're not leaving?

Viki: (Strokes his hair soothingly.) No... No. I'm not leaving. Close your eyes and rest for a while then.

Todd: (Closes his eyes, still struggling to calm down, seems to relax his body a bit, breathing begins to slow down.)

Viki: (Quietly, still stroking his hair:) I wish I could sing you to sleep, but it would give you nightmares.

Todd: (Manages a brief, weak smile, eyes closed.)

Viki: (Heartfelt:) Ooooh, sweetie. I wish I could make this easier for you.

Todd: (Quietly:) This helps.

Viki: Good. I love you.

Todd: (Sleepily, eyes closed, murmuring:) Love you, too, Sis.

Viki: (Smiles. Continues to stroke his hair and watch his face, one arm draped protectively over his body.)

Todd: (Takes Viki's hand in his and holds it against his chest.)

[Scene ends.]

[Scene: Todd's office not more than half an hour later.]

Todd: (Sitting up a little abruptly. Somewhat embarassed, looks around the room, looks at Viki. Leans back against the couch, head back, eyes shut.)

Viki: No need to be embarassed. You're my little brother. I should be wearing a t-shirt that reads: "I'm The Big Sister", shouldn't I?

Todd: (Humourlessly:) Very funny. I feel awful.

Viki: Do you think you can handle some lunch? You need to eat.

Todd: Not if it means being around people, no. I'm not very hungry, either. (Opens eyes a little, looks at her.)

Viki: (Smiles at him.) How was your nap? You looked pretty peaceful there for a while.

Todd: (Bristling:) You can go home now, Viki. (Shuts his eyes, turns his head away.)

Viki: I said I'm not leaving, and I meant it. If you want to talk, we can. This was supposed to be a lunch date. Are you hungry?

Todd: No. I'm sick to my stomach. (Lays his head in her lap again, closes eyes.)

Viki: (Lays her arm across his chest lightly again.) You don't look very good.

Todd: That's not news.

Viki: Very funny. You're still my beautiful brother.

Todd: I'm your onlybrother. And aren't you glad, too?

Viki: My only living brother. You look ill, that's all. Did you have breakfast?

Todd: No.

Viki: We can get some things from downstairs, if you'd like. A little of this, a little of that, maybe?

Todd: Whatever you want, Sis. You're being a nudgy, "Jewish Mother", you know that? A nudgy nudge.

Viki: (Feels his forehead.) You don't feel good at all, do you?

Todd: (Shakes head 'no'.)

Viki: We'll see what we can feed you, and you just eat what you can, ok?

Todd: Kill me if I get like that with Starr, ok?

Viki: (Laughs again.) You can't be feeling too bad if you're joking.

Todd: (Opens eyes and looks at her.) It's an illusion. We? All nine of you and 5 of me? Won't that be too much food? I can't eat much.

Viki: Just you and me. Maybe one other person. (Standing, helping Todd to sit up, Viki crosses to his desk phone, picking up handset.)

Todd: (Watches her closely.) No doctors, not even Larry!

Viki: Not even Larry. I'm calling Tea, Todd, not Larry.

Todd: Sorry. (Rubs his face and hides it in his hands a moment, tiredly.)

Viki: She seems like the best medicine for you right now. You didn't eat breakfast.

Todd: (From behind his hands:) No.

Viki: Then you need food. I'm not leaving you alone, so I'll call Tea and have her join us.

Todd: Whatever.

Viki: Wouldyou rather go out to lunch like we planned?

Todd: I told you, I have no appetite. Food or people.

Viki: Just checking. You do need to at least try to eat.

Todd: You're my sister,not my mom.

Viki: (Laughs.) It's a role I'm kind of used to after raising three kids. Our sister, Meredith, was such a sickly little girl that I used to hover over her a lot when we were growing up. With no mother, I kind of took over for her when the nurses left us alone. Right now, you seem to need someone to mother you. Humour me. How about some soup?

Todd: Whatever. No chowder. I hate chowder, it's like watery pudding with chunks of unidentifiable sea creatures. Fins, suckers, scales..... Bleah.

Viki: (Laughs.)

Todd: It is! I'd throw it right back up if you brought me any right now. Tentacles. How does anybody stand eating them?

Viki: You really don't feel well, do you?

Todd: Not at all. All this thinking about chowder is not helping. Oh, now I can't stop thinking about fish chowder. Eeugh.

Viki: Well, at least have a few bites of whatever we do have, ok? Will you try? (Dialing, while looking at him.)

Todd: Maybe. I can't guarantee I'll keep it down. (Rubs temples, grimacing.)

Viki: (On phone:) Tea! Hi, Viki.... Oh, I'm right here with him, actually...... That's what I was going to ask you.... his office.... now. He had a fight with Asa and now feels ill.... ok. Bye. (Hangs up. Turns to Todd.) She'll be here soon.

Todd: Thanks, Sis. Why are you so good to me, Sis? I've never understood that, especially after the tape and what you said that night.

Viki: You're very welcome. (Grins at him. Tweaking him verbally:) You're the baby of the family and I'm making up for lost time. I'd do just about anything for you, you know. (Sits next to him again.)

Todd: (Rolls his eyes.)

Viki: I was wrong that night, but I was very upset at the time and lashed out.

Todd: You? You lash out? That's my thing.

Viki: You know I do, and it isn't just your 'thing'. After all, killing our father was a bit of lashing out, too, wasn't it?

Todd: Ok, so we're both rotten.

Viki: (Laughs.) Neither of us are. (Takes his hand and looks in his eyes.) Look, I know you're feeling pretty badly right now between the upset stomach and the headache and whatever else. You really will be ok, Todd. We're all here for you, all you have to do is let us in.

Todd: That's all? (Takes his hand away.) I can't.

Viki: (Takes his hand again and looks at him looking away.) You have.

Todd: (Looks at her, his gaze locking onto her eyes.)

[Scene ends.]

TO BE CONTINUED