EPISODE 230
Written by: Bre L. Drew
April 3, 2023
Last Time on Town and Country
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In the accident, Shauna miscarried the baby in addition to the injuries she and Max sustained as they swerved to avoid Jordan in the middle of the road.
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Feeling guilty about his role in Jordan's mental issues, Daniel paid for Jordan's stay at Stonecrest.
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Samuel got a call from someone who wanted to meet with him.
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Jai and Louise had a disagreement over where they will reside once they're married.
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RADCLIFFE RECEIVING HOSPITAL
"I can't wait to get out of here," Max Covington declares to his wife Shauna, sitting beside him in his bed in the hospital room.
The husband and wife are recovering from a devastating accident where the car ended up in a ditch the previous night, which sadly took the life of their unborn child and caused Max to sustain serious injuries.
"Me too," Shauna replies. "I was glad I was able to convince Grandma to go back to the bar and let the driver take me back to Home Farm, so we can spend more time together."
Earlier, Mae had come by to drop off some needs for Shauna and initially wanted to take her home, but since she wanted to be here when he saw the doctor, she decided to stay until then.
The two remain silent as Shauna places her head on Max's lap as a knock on the door gets their attention.
"Are you up for any more visitors?" Daniel Covington calls out.
Max and Shauna exchange glances, communicating that their time alone is over for the time being.
"Sure, the more, the merrier," Max remarks in his usual sardonic manner.
The wealthy businessman strolls into the room, giving a sympathetic expression to his son and daughter-in-law.
"I'm so sorry at what happened to you, Shauna; if there is anything you need, please don't hesitate to ask,"
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"Thanks, I appreciate that, Daniel," Shauna says respectfully.
Saddened by the loss of the baby, Shauna was looking forward to bringing it into the world.
Daniel then tosses his focus onto his eldest offspring. "How are you holding up?"
"From what I hear, I'm doing better than Jordan right now; how is that all going?"
"Let's just say that she is going somewhere to get the help she clearly needs."
He figures neither wanted to hear about Jordan going to Stonecrest, a private psychiatric hospital outside of town, to get the help she seems to need.
Although neither is aware of his role in this, he managed the situation so she wouldn't be seen as a fit parent.
"I say standing in the middle of the road, not moving, when a car is coming at you would make you need help," Shauna says frustratedly.
"What are you talking about?" Daniel questions
Max runs his hand through his hair. "Dad, while we were on our way to the cabin, Jordan was standing in the middle of the road. I guess she must've been looking for Jeremy, but I swerved to avoid her, and well, you can guess what happened after that."
The conversation astonishes Daniel, as he hadn't known this, but since they were out on the same stretch of road, it all made sense.
The footsteps heading toward them all make them aware that Dr. Zhang has entered the room.
"Hello, everyone; I'm going to examine Max and see if there has been any progress made since we extracted that shard of glass from your back."
Shauna looks to her husband, who is holding his hand, as they await the results.
JOJO'S CAFE
When Samuel Gupta enters the cafe, he is instantly greeted by "Human" by The Human League playing on the sound system.
The establishment isn't as crowded due to it still being the afternoon.
He then sees the particular person in the back of the cafe waiting for him.
"So, what couldn't wait until later?" he asks the person sitting across from him.
"I need you to tell me what you know about Dr. Pierre Toussaint." Tommy Covington seeks out.
FRANKLIN FARM: MAIN HOUSE
With bridal magazines and a desk calendar sprawled out on the table in the kitchen of the main house on Franklin Farm this early afternoon. Meanwhile, Sarah Lynn Saunders and Louise Saunders Lockhart sit beside each other, skimming at a potential wedding dress on the Saunders matriarch tablet.
"You've got to admit that would look great on you, sweetheart," Sarah Lynn observes.
"I will definitely bookmark it as an option," Louise remarks.
"Though with everything going on, I'm not sure I should be planning anything."
Sarah Lynn places the electronic device off to the side.
"Something tells me this has less to do with what happened with Shauna, Max, and Jordan and more to do with the disagreement you and Jai had,"
The other day, the engaged couple discussed where they would live together. Jai thought they would get their own place, while Louise wanted him to move into the cottage. Nonetheless, neither was keen on the other's response.
"Have you spoken to Jai since you talked about this?" Sarah Lynn queries.
Louise takes a sip of tea before answering.
"Yeah, but we haven't focused on the issued at hand,"
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"Look, I know you don't want to hear a lecture from your mother,"
"But I am going to get one anyway, aren't I?" Louise chuckles good-naturedly enough.
Sarah Lynn smirks as she looks directly into her eldest daughter's eyes. "Don't avoid this if you see yourself spending the rest of your life with this man, have that conversation."
"You make it sound so uncomplicated, mom," Louise sighs. "I can see why he would have reservations living in a house I used to live in with my ex-husband, but like I told Jai living somewhere else can't simply erase those memories, so it doesn't matter where we live."
"That's true," the older woman says. "But after everything that has happened with Max and Shauna, this seems petty in the grand scheme of things, doesn't it?"
Louise shakes her head as she attempts to adhere to her mother's words.
"How come you always know what to say?"
Sarah Lynn gets out of the chair to grab her empty mug to take to the sink. "As your grandmother, Betty Lou, says "You keep living, and you'll find out," she tells her. "Hopefully, I'll have an engagement party to throw, but more importantly, you decide what's truly important?"
JOJO'S CAFE
Tommy had contacted Samuel some time ago, wanting him to meet him here as he left Jeremy with Lillith, his nanny, at home. Although he wanted to spend the whole day with him due to what was going on with Jordan, he knew this couldn't wait.
At first, Samuel is taken aback at being asked this, as he realizes this could've been a question he could've answered over the phone. "From what I know and have seen, he's one of the best doctors and psychiatrists at Radcliffe Receiving. Why are you specifically asking me about Tommy?"
Tommy lowers his voice a bit. "If I tell you this, you can't tell anyone else because it's just a theory I have."
"Think of this as patient-doctor confidentiality."
Tommy delves into believing that the doctor is doing something other than treating Jordan, who had been seeing him for postpartum depression.
As Samuel is about to refute, he recalls a time he had an interaction with his colleague in which he seemed shifty, although he chalked it up to being in a hurry.
"Do you have anything to base this on?"
Tommy gets the container out of his pocket to show Samuel.
"Aren't sedatives supposed to make you chill? he theorizes. "Instead, they drive my son's mother to the local mental institution."
"A psychiatric hospital, for seventy-two hours," Samuel corrects him, as he observes the data on the bottle.
Tommy spots the confusion on his face.
"What's wrong?"
"It seems to me that he prescribed a dosage that was a tad too high for someone of Jordan's height and weight."
Yet Tommy can hear the uneasiness in his voice. "But?"
"We don't know if the side effects from the medication or the high dosage are the cause of it until we do a blood test, but right now, maybe the best place for Jordan is at Stonecrest."
Tommy is confused by that response.
"Why the hell is that?"
"Because if Toussaint is doing this to her, who else knows what he might do since he would also have access to her records since he is technically still her psychiatrist? And this way, since I will be treating her at Stonecrest, I can keep an eye on her and monitor the situation. I know it's not the best thing to hear, but we need to make sure he doesn't continue to do this to her."
"What if I say that he isn't working alone?"
Samuel clutches onto the medication. "Are you saying you have someone else in mind?"
At first, Tommy is about to tell him but decides not to since he doesn't have any concrete proof about his father except Jordan telling him he was in Toussaint's office asking about her condition.
"He might," he lies. "Though for now, let's worry about Toussaint."
RADCLIFFE RECEIVING HOSPITAL
Shauna continues to grasp onto her husband's hand as Dr. Zhang completes his examination, and Daniel remains close.
"Tell me what you feel when I tap this to your knee," he gestures to the reflex hammer.
Max nods while waiting for the doctor to do his test.
Shauna and Daniel both see the physician tap his kneecap lightly, although Max remains silent as he hasn't felt anything.
"Don't hold out on me," Max says.
Nonetheless, he sees the rest of them share nervous glares at each other.
"What's wrong?"
Dr. Zhang uses the instrument, this time on his kneecap, but it doesn't move, let alone Max, who once again doesn't feel anything.
"Okay, now you're freaking me out. What's going on, Dr. Zhang?"
The doctor puts the hammer back into the pocket of his lab coat.
"I was hoping you would have sensation by now."
"But what?" Shauna asks while still holding her husband's hand.
"Max seems to be suffering from paralysis to which extent I will have to run more tests to determine if it's temporary or more permanent."
"Oh, my god," Shauna murmurs to herself.
Max does his best to remain optimistic, though a cloud of doubt makes it hard for him.
Daniel remains composed as he knows this is all his fault; if he hadn't gaslighted Jordan into believing she was losing her mind, his son and his wife wouldn't be going through the loss of their child and the question of his mobility wouldn't be
a factor.
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END OF EPISODE
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