EPISODE 228
Written by: Bre L. Drew
March 20, 2023
Last Time on Town and Country
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Ernest led the search for Jordan and Jeremy, which led him to Lake Hudson, where he, along with Thora and Tommy, discovered his grandson. Ernest then found Jordan in the woods, where she claimed not only to hear voices but also to be hoping people weren't hurt.
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Later, it was discovered that Max and Shauna, who were on their way to the cabin for a weekend getaway, were in a serious accident where their car went into the ditch due to Jordan standing in the middle of the road searching for Jeremy.
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Unbeknownst to them all, Daniel had been gaslighting Jordan for her to appear she is an unfit mother so Tommy can wind up with primary custody of Jeremy.
RADCLIFFE RECEIVING HOSPITAL
Swiftly, Mae Jackson and Antoine Hall approach the desk of Radcliffe Receiving Hospital's E.R.
The white, twenty-something petite nurse in light blue scrubs with a brunette, modern-styled bob takes in their presence.
With uncertainty, Mae speaks. My granddaughter, Shauna Jackson... sorry, Covington was in an accident and brought here with her husband."
Before she can say anything else, the nurse sturdily nods to confirm she is aware of something. "They were brought in about ten minutes ago. I will notify the doctor when he's available."
"Thanks," Antoine says to the nurse.
He proceeds to guide his maternal figure into the nearby waiting room.
"Take it easy," Antoine tells her as they sit in the chairs; they're the only ones there. "Shauna will be all right,"
Mae exhales and shakes her head. "I'm not just worried about Shauna, but for Max and that baby she is carrying; if anything happens to either of them, it's going to devastate her."
The two were in the middle of service at the Waterfall when they got the call from a paramedic informing them of the incident on their way to their weekend getaway.
Mae found herself immediately close to the bar to check on her granddaughter and grandson-in-law.
She clears her throat, trying not to let her emotions get the best of her.
"At least we know Shauna is going to be okay, and the important thing is that they are alive," Antoine says reassuringly.
Even though it is no love loss for him and Max, since he still has feelings for Shauna, he doesn't want him to die, knowing it would hit the woman he loves deeply.
"All I wanna know is what happened?" Antoine adds.
Mae moves her head. "Right now, I don't care; I just want to know if they're going to be okay."
The din of footsteps and shuffling make the two of them notice that Daniel and Deridre Covington are with Courtney Covington Sullivan and her husband, Steven Sullivan.
"Am I the only one who thought they wouldn't have to return to this hell hole?" Deirdre remarks scornfully,
"Tell me about it," Mae says, still seated.
Nearly a year ago, they were all down here when their children, Will and Emma, were brought in after getting into a dangerous accident when the driver of a multi-wheeled truck drifted off, causing it to sideswipe them on the road. Will was unable to use his break as it had stopped functioning. Will was okay, but Emma had landed in a coma and thought she would never recover; however, by some miracle, she was alive.
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But unknown to anyone else, Deirdre paid someone to tamper with Will's car brakes, wanting her daughter to stay away from the ex-con, believing him to be a negative influence.
"Any word on Shauna or my son?" Daniel questions.
They were still at home when they got the call from Ernest saying that not only Jeremy and Jordan were found but that, by coincidence, Max and Shauna were injured on the road directly in the same area as well. The businessman quickly rounded up his family.
"Not yet," Antoine casually answers. "How are Jeremy and Jordan?"
"Tommy said that the doctor was looking over Jeremy, but nothing seemed seriously wrong with him, well, physically anyway," Courtney proclaims. "And for Jordan, well, hopefully she gets the help she clearly needs."
"Courtney," Steven unexpectedly states. "The most important thing is that they were both found safe and sound."
His wife turns to him in disbelief at him trying to overlook Jordan's shortcomings as a parent at this moment.
Daniel is about to go to the desk to demand answers when a Chinese American male in his mid-sixties with thin salt-and-pepper hair, glasses, and scrubs makes his way to them.
"Are you all here for Max and Shauna Covington?"
Head motions and declarations get his attention. "I'm Dr. Zhang."
"Yes, Max is my son, and Shauna is his wife, my daughter-in-law," Daniel explains.
"Shauna is my granddaughter, doctor," Mae adds. "What is going on?"
"Shauna sustained a few cuts and bruises; with some rest, she should be fine." the physician discloses to them.
"Thank god," Mae says in relief, then realizes he didn't say anything about the child she is carrying. "What about the baby?"
Dr. Zhang puts his hands on his hips. "Dr. Jamison has been paged, but I think it's best she stays overnight under observation, but so far Shauna and the baby are doing as well as can be expected."
With the news thus far, consolation can be felt in the room.
"Max, on the other hand," Dr. Zhang starts with.
Daniel doesn't like the sound of the guy's voice. "What is wrong with my son?"
SAMPSON UNIVERSITY: ASHTON DORMITORY
Presley McKnight and Tanner Lockhart are making out intensely on her bed in the college dormitory where she resides. He came over some time ago to confide in his girlfriend about his sister taking off with her son and how everyone is worried due to her mental instability. He has been worried about her since he came back to town; he has been trying to get through to her, but it seems what she is struggling with has a grip on her. He is about to take off his shirt to take their intimacy further when he feels a vibrating sensation in his pocket. Realizing it is his phone, he quickly retrieves it.
"Hello," he answers. Looking up to see Tanner, who is a bit flustered, she runs her hands through her long brown hair as she glares at him, wondering if there is any news of Jordan. Although she isn't particularly one of her favorite people, he knows his sister means the world to him, in addition to his nephew.
"Mom, how are they?" He queries aloud. "Thank God!" he responds mercifully. "What about Jordan?" As the reverend gets informed of his mother Jordan's condition, he nods. However, he receives another piece of startling information. "I'm on my way."
"They found them?" Tanner asks her boyfriend.
He ends the call. "Yeah, my dad, Thora, and Tommy spotted Jeremy in the parking lot by Jordan's car in the lot at Lake Hudson; they're taking him to the hospital to get checked out just as a precaution, but he's doing good."
"That's great news," Tanner says, somewhat optimistically.
"What about Jordan?"
Presley gets off the bed, straightens his shirt, and puts his coat on. "I'll save the rest of the story for another time, but dad found her by the lake in the woods, and on their way to his car, they saw Max and Shauna Covington being driven away in an ambulance; their car had totaled in a ditch; it didn't look too good. I'm on my way to receiving now."
"Oh, my God!" she exclaims. She had gotten to know Max well when she and Tommy were together. And she has known Shauna all her life, since her family and the Jacksons have been longtime friends.
"I'm going with you,"
Without him putting up a fight, she seizes her coat from the back of her desk chair and grabs her purse off the desk as the two vacate the room.
RADCLIFFE RECEIVING HOSPITAL
The journey to the hospital had been in silence, albeit with the infrequent sounds of the radio in Ernest McKnight's police jeep. He was able to convince the paramedic who wanted to escort Jordan there, but he insisted that he would do it himself.
However, mentally, it's obvious she isn't from taking off Jeremy without telling anyone she was going to him being found to Ernest finding Jordan in the woods and claiming she is hearing voices.
He realized then that he needed to keep an eye on her.
Currently, in the triage of the hospital emergency room, he is standing there as Jordan Mcknight lies rather despondent on the bed.
The curtain to the room is pulled open by Thora McKnight.
"How is Jeremy doing?" the police chief asks of his grandson.
"According to the doctor checking him out, he's doing fine," she reports. "Thank God!" Tommy is going to take him home when the doctor is done with him."
Concurrently, Thora glances at her daughter, knowing something isn't right with her.
"It's awful what happened to Max and Shauna, isn't it?" she asks. "It can be some kind of coincidence that we were all on the same road together. I mean, I think of Jeremy possibly running out on that dark road, and god forbid he was accidentally run over by Max or someone else."
At first, Ernest had been debating whether or not to fill his former wife in on the matter but decided to do so in this case.
He lowers his voice as he speaks. "Thora, there is something I need to tell you." He leads them out of the triage in the mostly empty hallway of the E.R.
She can easily spot the distress written all over his face.
"I know that look; something is up, Ernest; what is it?" Thora requests
Daniel's impatience starts to slowly show as he deciphers that the doctor doesn't have good news to share about his current condition.
"We were able to remove the shard of glass located near the spinal cord; we aren't sure of the nerve damage as of yet, but right now he's under sedation."
"Can we at least see them?" Courtney questions
"Of course, but I'm limiting visitors until the morning," Dr. Zhang respectfully warns. He then rattles off the areas of the hospital where they are recovering.
"Give Shauna our best," Stevens tells Mae and Antoine as they go to the triage. "Anyone need anything to drink, coffee?"
As Deirdre and Courtney pass, Daniel shakes his head at the thought of everything that has occurred tonight, and most of it is on him due to him gaslighting Jordan so she wouldn't have access to Jeremy, whom he blackmailed her psychiatrist into prescribing her a high enough dosage of sedatives so she would appear like she's losing touch with reality. And now his son and his wife, who are badly wounded, and his unborn grandchild are at risk because of the things he set in motion.
"I'm going to see Max."
"You want me or my grandmother to come with you, dad?"
Daniel gestures opposite. "No, I need to be alone."
He steps away from them as he goes to the elevator to head to the ICU.
Dr. Polly Kettering, call extension 210. Dr. Polly Kettering, call extension 210.
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The page is broadcast over the speaker system throughout the building as Tommy Covington holds a sleeping Jeremy in his arms as the doctor just checked over his son; thankfully, there are no signs of illness or abuse. He is heading for the exit door of the hospital when he sees Presley and Tanner walking in.
"Hey, little guy," Presley says to his nephew, not realizing he is asleep. "How is he?"
Much as he wants to ignore the reverend, Tommy chooses not to. "He's fine,"
He hadn't realized he would be seeing his ex-girlfriend tonight but can't help but notice how great she looks, though he wonders if it is because she is now with his child's mother's brother.
"Tommy how are Max, Shauna, and Jordan?" Tanner questions concerningly
"Courtney called me and told me they're over in the E.R., but she or my family don't know anything yet," he informs them. "Jordan is there too, but I don't know about her either."
Presley scoffs a bit when he mentions his sister.
"What the hell does that mean?" Tommy demands, raising his voice a bit more than he intended.
Presley is ready to encounter whatever is said to him "You said you don't know, or because you could care less, Tommy?"
"Presley, calm down," Tanner says defensively. "This isn't the time or place to do this; let's just go check on Jordan."
Tommy tilts his head to indicate to the reverend that his nephew is sleeping and does not need to be awakened.
"And for your information, Presley, I do care about your sister," he says to him. "Now, I'm taking my son home and trying not to fall apart waiting for word about my seriously injured brother and my pregnant sister-in-law."
For some time now, Tommy has been suspicious of the treatment Jordan has been receiving from Dr. Pierre Toussaint, in addition to believing his father has some involvement. And on top of having her sedatives in his possession,
Tommy steps toward the exit, where the police car is waiting to take them home, which was arranged by Ernest since he had been with him at the lake.
Presley then flicks his focus onto his girlfriend. "Sometimes I say stuff that I shouldn't, at the moment; can you please forgive me, Tanner?"
"Look, I get that your emotions are all over the place with everything going on, but Tommy is also going through a lot too; I'm here, and I'm not going anywhere."
She indicates that she accepts his apology as she takes his hand as they go to the front desk to seek the specific locale in the E.R. where Jordan and his parents are.
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Laying on the medical bed in the triage area of the emergency room, Shauna Covington is connected to a monitor. She is still out of the loop about what is going on with her husband. She still recalls the paramedics working on him.
She glances at the wedding ring on her finger, praying he is going to be all right.
Also, she recalls the person in the middle of the road, which she knows is there, but somehow a fog seems to prevent identifying the person, although she feels like she knows them personally.
The treading of footsteps gets her to lift her head, insinuating that her grandmother and Antoine are here.
"Oh, my baby, how are you feeling?" Mae goes to her, embraces her gently, and kisses her on the forehead.
"Other than not knowing the overall fate of my unborn baby and my husband, I'm peachy keen," she says sarcastically.
"Hey," she tells Antoine, who is standing at the entrance of the triage.
"Hey!" Antoine greets charismatically.
"Do you know anything about Max?" Shauna asks, mainly her grandmother. "I'm going out of my mind here with not knowing."
Mae, who is now standing beside her, decides the best thing for her is to stay calm. "Sweetheart, Max is going to be fine; all he needs is some rest like you should be getting."
Shauna doesn't hide the reluctance in that answer, but for now, she takes it due to the lack of strength she is currently feeling.
"I know there's more to it, but as long as he's going to be okay, then I'll be too."
"Amen to that," Mae affirms.
Shauna smirks playfully at her former lover. "You don't have to stand back there. I promise I won't bite."
Antoine keeps a tepid smile on his face. "I'm just taking you in, that's all."
Mae strongly senses Antoine's attraction to Shauna and makes a mental note to get into it with him, but not now. She then spots suddenly Shauna winces.
"What's wrong?"
Shauna feels a sharp pain in her abdomen.
"Antoine, call for help!" Mae urges.
"We need some help in here!" Antoine calls out into the hall.
Shortly, a nurse and a nursing assistant come into the triage room to examine her.
The nursing assistant then grabs the phone on the wall and says, "Dr. Jamison you're needed in Triage 3 stat."
"Please wait outside," the nurse instructs as she pulls back the curtain. As Mae and Antoine do as they're told, they're unsure of what is happening to Shauna and the baby she is carrying.
While Daniel sets his eyes on his son in bed with his facial gashes medically sutured and bandaged, he can't help but think about his late wife, Keri, who spent her last days in a room like this at home under hospice care.
Even though he and his eldest offspring had never gotten along much, he never envisioned his adventurous and witty son being like this.
Despite him being asleep, he couldn't help but tiptoe over to him as quietly as possible as he sat in the seat next to him.
"I just thought you should know that Shauna and the baby are both doing fine," he notifies him, "and you will too because you're just as strong and as stubborn as any other Covington." He chuckles while trying to stifle his sorrow.
The rhythmic beeping fills the environment until he gains his composure.
"I know I haven't been the best father to you, but I swear I will try to change that and be the best grandfather to your son or daughter, although I'm already off to a not-so-good start with Jeremy, and that is why I had to do anything you have to protect the wellbeing of your family."
Tears stream down his face as he grabs his son's hand. "I know I don't say this a lot to you; I love you, Max," he declares wholeheartedly.
"Ernest, are you certain?" Thora says in an incredulous manner what she has been told by her former spouse in the hallway of the E.R.
Ernest gestures for her to lower her voice so no one can overhear them.
"It's just a hunch, but it didn't help matters that Jordan told me that she hoped they weren't hurt, and it was all her fault."
"But how can she be the cause?"
Ernest shrugs, trying to figure out why. "I don't know exactly; my concern isn't on that right now."
"Then what is your concern?" Thora retorts.
Ernest sees a black female nurse in her late fifties with her brown hair wrapped in a bun coming their way, who gives a polite nod to them.
"That our daughter is suffering from some kinda nervous breakdown; she told me that she is hearing voices."
At first, she is about to protest when she recalls the conversation, she had with Tommy a little while ago back at Home Farm about how it seems that despite her going to therapy, it didn't seem to be helping, which now she knows it isn't.
"How much can this family take?" Thora says in disbelief.
It is Ernest who holds her in his arms. "Whatever happens, just know I'm going to take care of it."
From his trademark fragrance to the rare tone of tenderness at that moment, he reminds her of the husband she thought she would never leave.
"Excuse me,"
The two let go of each other when someone gets their attention.
"I'm Dr. Samuel Gupta." The handsome psychiatrist introduces himself to them both.
"Nice to meet you," Thora says. "What is wrong with Jordan?"
"Well, the nurse told me that it seems that Jordan needs a consult." Samuel apprises them.
"A consult for what?" Ernest asks curiously.
"A psych consult, sir."
Despite knowing it is needed, it is still hard to hear that your own child needs one.
"Can you get her to talk, doctor? She seems out of it." Thora mentions this concerningly.
"I'll do my best,"
With that, the three of them walk back into the triage, where Jordan is still lying down but seems more aware of what is going on.
"Hi, Jordan, It's Samuel, how are you?" He says he also knows Jordan, mostly in passing, due to the shared acquaintances they have.
"I'm a selfish bitch that can't even keep track of my own son; he should be taken away from me," Jordan remarks.
"Jordan, no one wants to take your son away from you," Samuel tells her respectably.
"That's not what she says," Jordan counters. "She'd say I only think of myself, which I guess is true; I mean, who takes their son to the goddamn woods in the middle of the night in winter?"
Ernest and Thora share a look of confusion as Samuel starts to make notes on his tablet.
"Can I speak to one of you for a moment?" Samuel kindly urges
Thora goes over to her daughter, whom she puts her arm around protectively.
Ernest and he went to talk in the corner to be out of earshot from Jordan, who seemed despondent again.
"I'm going to be honest with you," Samuel replies. "From her history with postpartum depression and what she is presently exhibiting as signs of some sort of psychosis,"
"Then what should be done about it?" Ernest speaks authoritatively.
Samuel exhales, knowing the response won't be favorable.
"I believe it is in Jordan's best interest that she be transferred to an inpatient mental health facility for 72 hours. That way we will be able to observe her and get a clear picture of what is happening."
It's obvious Ernest isn't inclined toward this intention. "What about the psych ward here?"
Presently, Thora, who had overheard bits of the conversation, walks over to them. "My daughter won't be in some psych ward like she is some insane person."
"Mrs. McKnight, I assure you our psych ward is a suitable place, although due to the hospital's lack of a psychiatric team, I don't think Jordan will get the adequate care she needs here as she would at Stonecrest," he says directly. "And since we're affiliated with them, I will be able to take over her case."
Stonecrest is one of the few mental health facilities near town.
Ernest and Thora glare directly at Jordan, looking tired and discouraged.
"Whatever it takes," Ernest says, "we have to do this, and I don't care about the cost."
"I think it's best she stays here for the night, and tomorrow we can get the ball rolling on transferring her over there," Samuel says reassuringly.
Thora nods approvingly, understanding the only way for her to get better is to receive it.
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END OF EPISODE
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ON THE NEXT EPISODE OF TOWN AND COUNTRY
Mae receives support from an unlikely stranger.
Daniel uses Jordan's downfall as an opportunity.
Max awakens to heartbreaking news.
Leave your thoughts here on the T&C forum.
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