chapter eleven

NARRATION: Getting a glimpse of the horror as she's wheeled by on a gurney, Oxygen mask over her face, hands over belly and Jack next to her promising that…

Jack: You're okay, baby... just breathe... you'll be okay...

NARRATION: Man, such optimism. If only he knew.

NARRATION: CUT TO: Black, movement within.A WHITE GHOST-LIKE APPARITION. Somewhere, a HEARTBEAT. Off in the distance. But getting louder. And stronger. Go on, ZOOM OUT to reveal --An ULTRASOUND.

NARRATION: CUT TO: The doctor's office.

NARRATION: Ella sits in the examination chair, Jack holds her hand, seated on a stool next to it. Doctor Lane sits across from them.

Lane: …and while the amniotic sac was not punctured and is not ruptured, we are seeing signs of stress on the cervix most likely caused by the trauma which is why we're putting you on bed rest for the remainder of your pregnancy. You can get up to use the facilities if you do so delicately but anything beyond that is putting yourself and your child at risk...

NARRATION: Mia stares back blankly at the doctor. Not so sure she hears him. Not so sure she hears anything. Just her own thoughts. Her own fears.

NARRATION: Lens house-day

NARRATION: Mia leans on John as he helps her up the porch steps. Keeps her hands on her belly. Winces with every inch forward.

Jack: Maybe we should take a break.

Ella: I'm fine...

NARRATION: Ella looks over to the Mark's.

Ella: I just want to get inside.

NARRATION: Jack helps Ella down the hallway. Both step like they're walking on a mine field. Mia stop --

Ella: Wait... wait...

NARRATION: when she reaches the Nursery. She looks inside. Everything is back to normal. Like nothing ever happened.

Jack: I had them scrub everything at least twice. You could perform surgery in there it's so clean...

NARRATION: Ella reaches in and shuts the door.

Ella: I want everything out of the nursery. I can't go in there again... Moves on.

NARRATION: Ella settles into bed. She looks over at the closet door the man hid behind. Down at the floor where John was attacked, everywhere is a reminder. Protective, she pulls the sheets up over her belly. John rolls their ZENITH TV into the bedroom and then plugs it in.

Ella: You don't have to do that.

Jack: Baby, You're on bed rest for the next three months. You'd go crazy if I didn't. Just don't get obsessed with those daytime soaps...

Ella: Gosh, you know I hate those...

NARRATION: Jack sits down on the edge of the bed. Like right on the edge. Doesn't want to rock the bed too much.

Jack: I'll bring your sewing machine in later. We can turn this room into your factory.

NARRATION: Ella grabs his hand like it's anchor.

Ella: You really think baby is okay?

Jack: The baby isn't even aware of what happened.

Ella: Oh, really? Because I heard there was some new research.

Jack: Ella, you heard the doctors. So as long as you listen to them, the baby will be fine. The baby is fine. You're its mother, right? If it wasn't, you'd know...

NARRATION: Ella looks down at her tummy. Glances over at the window. Sees the Higgins' next door.

Ella: Do you mind shutting those curtains? I want to try and get some rest.

NARRATION: Jack kisses her.

Jack: Good idea.

NARRATION: So quiet. The only sound is the tick, tick, tick of the clock on the mantle. But you need to strain to even hear that. Furniture sit like slumbering creatures. The Sewing Machine among them, an strange alien silhouette. Somewhere, a grating creeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaak like plastic rubbing against plastic.

NARRATION: In the NURSERY

NARRATION: The Mobile above spins. Only like a quarter rotation. But enough to get a few notes of 'Rockabye Baby'.

NARRATION: In the MASTER BEDROOM

NARRATTION: Ella stirs, Jack snores.

NARRATION: The quiet resumes until… Tchnk, Tchnk, Tchnk, Tchnk, Tchnk, Tchnk, Tchnk, Tchnk, Tchnk!

NARRATION: Mia starts awake, John springs out of bed. Races down the Hallway and into the

NARRATION: In the living room, 12 midnight.

NARRATION: Switches on the lights.Sees the Sewing Machine needle going at top speed. Whole machine shakes and vibrates with motion. Jack pulls the plug.

Ella: Jack?

Jack: It's okay. It's just the sewing machine...

NARRATION: He takes a quick tour of the house. Notes that the Nursery Door is now wide open. Reaches in and begins to close it. But the door catches on something. He looks down and sees there's no one there. Jack then shuts the door.

NARRATION: In the master bedroom-day.

NARRATION: Who knows how much time has passed. On bed rest, all the days seem to run together. Ella sits up in bed, propped on pillows. Watches 'ALL MY CHILDREN' on the Television. And yeah, she's obsessed. RECEPTION sure as hell is spotty though. Too bad she's gotta wait another ten years or so for cable.

NARRATION: on TV.

NARRATION: That bitch Erica Kane is spilling the beans that Tyler is not in fact Ruth's son but is actually… SNOW. Static. Frustrated, Mia picks up a LIFE Magazine and tosses it against the TV. It shuts off. She turns over on her side. Maybe ready to finally get some rest when she sees the bedroom door open on its own.

Ella: Jack? Could you...

NARRATION: She looks over at the clock. It's mid-afternoon. Ugh.

Ella: …come home soon please.

NARRATION: Slides out of bed. Shuffles over to the bedroom door. Gives one last look to at the door and closes the door.

Ella: I think this house is haunted.

NARRATION: BATHROOM - LATER

NARRATION: Ella peels off the bandage on her belly. Examines the stab wound. You'll wince when you see it. Takes a wet cloth and blots around it. Her face scrunched into the 'oh shit this hurt and looks disgusting' expression. She tosses the cloth aside. Washes her hands.Dries 'em off and exits back into the master bedroom.

NARRATION: Sees her the bedroom door is opened again. Gah. Ella tenses up. But then Jack appears from the Kitchen. Phew. Ella relaxes. A little as he enters into the bedroom.

Jack: How'd it go today?

Ella: TV went out.

NARRATION: She gets back into bed.

Jack: Again? Maybe it's this room. It never did that in the den...

Ella: What about you? Bring any news of the outside world?

Jack: I met with that advisor I was telling you about. He thinks I have a shot at Pasadena...

Ella: Of course you do.

Jack: It's further from the beach. Sure you'd be okay with that?

Ella: A change of view would be good.

Jack: Well let's not start packing yet. But there is a conference he'd like me to attend that could help move things in that direction. But I'd have to fly out for the day in a few weeks.

Ella: It's one day. I'll be fine.

Jack: Detective Ricky called too. He wanted to know if he could stop by sometime this week...

Ella: I'd rather just forget the whole thing... Well I guess you can tell the Detective he can stop by whenever is convenient for him. It's isn't like I'm not going anywhere anytime soon...

NARRATION: There is a shadow of a woman on the wall but none of them sees it.