EPISODE 237
Written by: Bre L. Drew
May 22, 2023
Last Time on Town and Country
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Tommy confronted Daniel over his suspicions about him being responsible for Jordan's gaslighting that led to Max and Shauna's accident, rendering a miscarriage, and the use of Max's legs, which the businessman denies. Although, his father is hiding the truth.
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Louise and Jai decide not to go forward with any marital plans due to their issues about where they will live when they get married and the role of Sean in Louise's life.
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Max struggle with his new reality of being paralyzed from the waist down.
RADCLIFFE RECEIVING HOSPITAL
Making his way out of the elevator, Tommy Covington maintains his path down the hall inside the hospital. A few members of staff surround the area. He then enters the room, where he spots Max Covington; lying in bed while Shauna Covington is sitting beside him, somewhat focusing on one of those shows on HGTV playing on the mounted flatscreen television.
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"Is this a private party, or can anyone join?" Tommy asks good-naturedly.
"Oh, I don't know; what do you think?" Shauna asks her husband.
"I think we can make an exception," Max says dryly in a humorous way. "Have a seat,"
Tommy realizes that he can't walk anymore, solely because their father gaslit Jordan into having a mental breakdown, even though he wouldn't admit it. He knows he is responsible for that as well as Shauna's miscarriage and probably why Dr. Toussaint Jordan's psychiatrist killed himself.
"How are you doing?" he inquired while sitting down on the other side of him.
Max takes a long exhale before answering him. "I felt like I pulled my car into a ditch on the side of the road, and then I woke up and lost the mobility of my waist down; oh wait,"
The depreciation in his voice makes Shauna lift her head, offering a gaze of empathy to her husband. She decides to change the subject.
"We're not going to take anything further with Jordan; it's not her fault what happened; she wasn't in her right mind, we already lost too much, and it's not going to bring it back,"
Tommy thinks to himself, knowing he can't tell them the truth since he doesn't have concrete proof to back it up, remembering the heated conversation he and his father had yesterday.
"I hate to dash out of here, but I need to get somewhere, but I will see you later," he says while getting on his feet.
"It's almost time for physical therapy. I think I'm going to learn how to move one of those big bouncy balls across the room, which should be fun," Max says sarcastically.
Embracing his older brother and sister-in-law, he walks out of the room on his way.
"Look, I know you think it's not going to help but think of this therapy as strengthening your muscles," Shauna says encouragingly.
Max faces his wife attentively. "Shauna, it's not going to change the fact that I'm going to be stuck in a chair for the rest of my life."
STONECREST
Despite the knowledge that her release was in a few hours, Jordan McKnight couldn't help but pace back and forth in the room she had been sleeping in for the last seventy-two hours at Stonecrest, the mental health facility she checked herself into when she couldn't distinguish real from imaginary insecurities in her mind.
A knock on the door temporarily gets her out of her mind frame.
"Whoever it is, you can come in," she declares.
The door swings open as Samuel Gupta enters the room. The psychiatrist is wearing a gray Calvin Klein dress shirt and dark slacks.
"Let me guess you're about to tell me that I can't leave and that I have to stay permanently," Jordan says, figuring out why her doctor would be here to visit her for hours before getting out of here.
"You've made strides in your recuperation, so I don't believe you belong here any longer, but do you think you're ready to go?" he asks, hearing the doubt in what she said.
Jordan sighs unsurely. "I whether be anywhere but here, but I'm not sure if I'm strong enough to go back to Home Farm because I don't want to hear those voices again that made me question if I'm capable of being a good mom to Jeremy," she reveals.
FRANKLIN FARM
"Mom, I think I've found a new appreciation for this place; it must take a lot of work to maintain everything in here," Louise Saunders Lockhart compliments.
The farmer and her mother are inside her mother's greenhouse this bright spring morning, situated on ample farmland and where several arrangements of plants and flowers reside.
"Why, thank you?" Sarah Lynn Saunders says proudly: "Tending to all these beauties has been a lifeline for me, especially since your father died."
Louise smiles bittersweetly, knowing that no matter how long it's been, she still can't believe it's been three years since her father passed away. There isn't a day that doesn't go by when the family doesn't think of him due to his impact on each of them and this land.
The Saunders matriarch is wearing a blue embroidered lace top and denim jeans as she moisturizes the citrus tree with a watering can.
"Speaking of life, are things any better between you and Jai?" Sarah Lynn wonders aloud.
Louise follows her mother as she now waters the summer squash.
"No, it's still the same; we haven't talked much since," she tells her. "But when I told Lenny what happened, she asked me if I still had feelings for Sean. Isn't that crazy?"
Sarah Lynn remains silent while she remains focused on her plants.
"It's crazy, isn't it?" Louise repeats herself, hoping she didn't hear her before.
Sarah Lynn gives her eldest offspring that look she used to give her, which she has recognized since childhood when she would kindly interject some words of wisdom onto her.
"Am I going to want to hear this?" Louise poses.
RADCLIFFE RECEIVING HOSPITAL
Shauna finds herself grabbing hold of Max's hands. "Yes, they're hurdles you're going to have to deal with now, but babe, please believe me when I say you're going to get through this. And I forgot to tell you that your father is making everything at home equipped for you so you'll be able to get around."
What's next, one of those handicap parking tags to stick in the car, or maybe binoculars to look from my bedroom window like Jimmy Stewart had in Rear Window?" he retorts.
Shauna knows her husband has always been sardonic, but she can't recall when he's been so hard on himself until now.
The footsteps heading their way make both of them turn to see Dr. Zhang in green scrubs, a stethoscope around his neck, and a tablet in his hand.
"I have some good news for you," the physician announces.
"You see, here is the cavalry to tell me about those binoculars," Max sarcastically states.
Shauna shakes her head at his witty response. Dr. Zhang, one way or another, isn't affected by the joke.
"You will be able to go home the day after tomorrow," the older man says. "Now you continue PT and OT at home, but you've been making the right progress," he informs him.
Shauna smiles at her husband, but Max doesn't seem overly excited.
"Well, at least my days of hospital food will be coming to an end." he finally says
Initially, he anticipated getting out of here, but now he isn't sure how to adapt to his new reality.
FRANKLIN FARM
Mother and daughter are still in the greenhouse, and Louise still can't believe her mother hasn't said anything yet.
"Come on, Mom; you can't think I still hold some torch for Sean."
Sarah Lynn places the watering can on the potting bench. "I didn't say anything," she discloses. "But if you admitted that you do, then it wouldn't be surprising. You two were married for years, and you share two beautiful daughters. If there are unresolved feelings there, it's all right unless they're clouding your present ordeal."
Currently, her engagement to Louise is on hold due to their conflict over where they will live as husband and wife, in addition to Sean's place in Louise's life since they are the parents of young adults, but they also work together since Louise is his boss.
Louise tucks a few strands of her blonde hair behind her ears. "Okay, I admit Sean and I've been getting along better than we have during the last years of our marriage, but there is no possibility we would even entertain getting back together. Let's not forget Jai and I are still technically engaged, and Sean is still married to Tricia, so there is no way it would ever happen. Besides, Jai is a wonderful man who treats me wonderfully, and I do love him."
"Well, I think you have your answer, so tell him what you feel about him and tell him all the things that make you vulnerable. The only way to a successful marriage is to be open with that person, and that goes for wherever you live, whether it's the cottage, the apartment, or a new home. You have to remember you can't enter a marriage lightly."
"I'm not ready for possible rejection," Louise openly confesses.
"Well, as your grandma, Betty Lou, says, you'll never know until you open your mouth."
Louise instantly recognizes one of her maternal grandmother's favorite utterances.
"I guess you're right,"
Sarah Lynn places her hands on her hips. "And when it comes to Aaliyah, maybe she will come around, and if not, do not let anyone interfere with what you two built and can build on."
Jai's daughter, Aaliyah, hasn't been on board with them getting married for some time as she still desires her parents to reconcile.
The businesswoman tries her best to adhere to what her mother tells her, hoping she can renew her engagement to the man she cares about without being questioned about her ex-husband's role in her life.
STONECREST
By now, Jordan is sitting on the bed while Samuel stands not far away from her. She reflects on hearing those horrible
voices in her head telling her how selfish she is and how much of a bad mother she is.
"I think those fears are valid," the psychiatrist says. "And I debated whether or not I should tell you this, but I think you need to know what happened to you was not in your control."
At the behest of Tommy, Samuel conducted a blood test on Jordan to see whether or not Toussaint had overmedicated her, and the results proved his hypothesis.
"It is," she replies wholeheartedly. "If I would've gotten help instead of taking off for all those months after Jeremy had heart surgery after he was born, maybe I wouldn't have lost him in the middle of the night, causing two people's lives to change forever."
"As I said, that was not your fault."
The way Samuel tells her makes the young woman glare at him curiously.
Another knock on the door makes what she was about to say disappear from the tip of her tongue.
"Come in," she permits.
The appearance of Tommy surprises her since she believed that he wasn't going to come to see her.
"Hey man!" the Covington heir greets his friend.
"Hey, Tommy, good to see you," Samuel greets him. "I was telling Jordan that for what she has been through, she's not responsible for what has happened.'
A silent understanding is exchanged between the men.
"Well, I better get out of here, but I will be back with the nurse to check you out soon," Samuel notes.
The doctor then pats Tommy's shoulder while he excuses himself from the room, giving the co-parents room to talk.
"Hi," Tommy responds softly to the mother of his child.
"Hi," she replies. "What does Samuel mean by what he said about it not being on me?"
"I need to tell you that Dr. Toussaint took his own life in his office; your parents found him."
Jordan covers her mouth in surprise. "Oh my god!"
She hadn't seen her therapist in a while, but the news of his death shocked her.
"And that's not all," Tommy said. "Samuel did a blood test on you, and it showed that Toussaint was overmedicating you on your sedatives."
Jordan sticks her hands in the back pockets of her pants. "Are you serious?" Why would he do this to me?"
Tommy does his best to calm her down. "The most important thing is that he won't be able to hurt you anymore."
"Like that is some comfort," she remarks candidly. "I have to do what is best for me and my son, so that's why when I'm out of here, I'm taking Jeremy, and we're leaving Radcliffe."
In the past, that announcement would've thrilled Tommy, but now it astonishes him as he detects the fear and seriousness in how she expresses it.
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END OF EPISODE
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ON THE NEXT EPISODE OF TOWN AND COUNTRY
Jordan puts the pieces together.
Daniel receives an unlikely gift.
Samuel encourages Jai.
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