The Honor Roll: Episode 18. The Sound of Silence

   It's the next day and at Sullivan Hill, Eliza sits inside her kitchen, and smokes a cigarette as she goes through her photo album, and pulls out a picture of her Mother, and asks "I wish you were here Mama. I can't handle this." There's a knock on the door, as Eliza heads to the front door, and Erica stands on the other side, as Eliza welcomes her inside, and Erica asks Eliza "Return to change clothes?" Eliza tells Erica "My baby needs a miracle. That damn hospital's so incompetent, and I've got a lawyer ready to sue the hell out of Bankhead Medical Center if Thomas dies." Erica sighs "That place is a joke Eliza. When I had surgery a few years ago, I went to Atlanta." Eliza responds "Thomas wouldn't make it back to Caswellton at this point." Erica asks "How's Bill taking everything?" At Bankhead Medical Center, Thomas is on the ventilator in his room in the ICU, as he's in a medically induced coma, as Bill sits next to his Son, as he gets a text from Alice, that reads "Peanut's staying at my place." Bill texts back "Thank you for keeping an eye on him." A nurse walks inside, as she tells Bill "A visitor's here. Missy Gardner." Bill looks at his Son, as he tells the Nurse "I'll walk out in the waiting room and talk to her." Bill walks out, as Missy stands at the door, and asks "How is Thomas..." Bill yells "How the hell do you think he's doing? He's on a damn vent! When we have to take him off, he may die Missy! Wanna go snitch to your damn Mama?" Missy responds "I'm worried about him also Mr.Duncan." Bill looks at Missy, and tells her with anger in his eyes "Eliza may have softened towards you, but I haven't. You are a damn bitch like your crazy ass Mama! Both of you are a damn like." Missy looks at Bill, and calmly warns him "Now isn't the time for this." Bill yells "Leave! Go to Mommy and tell her that my Son may die, it will make her day! The both of you can join forces and fight for Principal at the damn school!" Bill walks back inside the ICU, as the door shut, and Missy cries, as she shakes her head, and heads to Caswellton.
    At Waters Elementary, Dwight walks down the main hall, as the faculty and staff prepares for the students to return, as he walks inside Winnie's Classroom, as Winnie reads notes from the former First Grade Teacher, as Marian sits inside as they gossip, and Dwight asks Winnie "So how are you enjoying being back in a classroom as a teacher?" Winnie quips "A hell of a lot better than being the warden's assistant." Marian sighs "Now Maura isn't that bad." Winnie looks at Marian, and goes "I think you may be that bitch's only friend in this school." Marian looks at Dwight, and tells him "Send my well wishes to Thomas. Winnie's been on a tear this morning talking about Maura." As Marian heads to her room, Dwight asks Winnie "Have you seen Maura this morning?" Winnie sighs "Unfortunately. I was hoping the school was going to fire her." Dwight reminds Winnie "We know Anna's like Betty, both are forgiving, and.." Winnie goes "Let me call the shots while Thomas recovers, and I'll make everybody's day when I fire her ass!" Dwight looks down, and tells Winnie "There's a chance he won't make it Winnie. Tomorrow we'll know for sure, but right now it's not looking good." Winnie shakes her head, and asks Dwight "He's the best Principal this school's had since Betty Waters, and now he's at death's door, and he's still young." Dwight tells Winnie "Like Anna said last night, we all need to keep him in our prayers, and Eliza and Bill also." Winnie tells Dwight "I am. But when Pat drove me here this morning, she got emotional when she spoke about him." Dwight walks to the door, and tells Winnie "This is hard on everyone right now Winnie. It's not going to be easy, and keep thinking positive for him." Winnie responds "Will do.", as Dwight walks down the hall, and has a flashback, and looks up for a moment, as he heads to his office.
     Meanwhile in Maura's Classroom, Maura gets her classroom ready, as she tells a mover "I want Winnie Johnson's desk taken to her classroom NOW!" The mover responds "She said to keep it here as a reminder for you." Maura snarks "Seeing her every day is enough of a damn reminder. Guess I can let Eliza use it whenever she arrives here to work." The mover walks out, as Maura sits at her desk, as Corey walks inside, and asks Maura "So are you ready for the kids to come back?" Maura looks at Corey, and tells him "I'm glad you did get that promotion over Erica. If that old bitch had of gotten it, she'd went on a real power trip." Corey goes "At least now we don't have to worry about my Grandma anymore." Maura nods in agreement, as she does paperwork, and asks Corey "So are you here to remind me I'm on probation?" Corey tells Maura "No. I wanted to see how you were, and check things out around here since Mr.Duncan's in the hospital." Maura asks Corey "What's the plan if he dies?" Corey sighs "That's Anna's call, and from what I've been told this morning, Dwight and Eliza will be playing a role if that does happen which let's hope doesn't happen." Maura tells Corey "I can't stand him Corey, and his Mother, you think your Grandma was evil, Eliza's worse." Corey calmly responds "She seemed nice to me." Maura goes "Yeah, then she goes crazy. She's out for me, and so's her Son." Corey sighs "Try to focus on the important thing, and prove to them you're looking out for the students, and not for yourself." Maura yells "Now Melissa's grown close to that bitch, and I know she's sticking it to me, and likely when not in the ICU, laughing about it." Unknown to Maura and Corey, Erica stands outside Maura's classroom, as she's arrived, and walks in, and goes "Oh well look at what we have here, Maura and her only ally, and Corey, and his only ally." Maura asks Erica "And what do you want Erica?" Corey tells Erica "You and Maura needs to learn to co-exist, or I will make a recommendation to Anna to give the head teacher of Special Ed back to Maura." Erica shrieks "What in the hell did you just say! Corey Horton, you keep proving yourself more and more to me, and I'm going NOWHERE, and you can kiss my ass, and Maura, I wish you had been shot!" Maura yells at Erica "I saw that bullet hit Melissa, and I know it had to come from you." Erica snides "If I knew you were around, I'd aimed for you.." Corey tries to intervene, as Maura goes after Erica, and Erica delivers a blistering slap to Maura's face, as Corey yells "OK! This is very unprofessional. I want the two of you to work out your differences." Erica looks at Corey, and snarls "You keep kissing that bitch's ass, and trust me when I say, I will make it a living hell for you in Caswellton Corey Horton. Bet on it." Erica struts out, as Corey sighs "What's her problem with me?" Maura responds "She thinks she is better than everyone else." Corey looks at Maura, and tells her "I'm going back to the office, be on your best behavior." Maura goes "Tell that to Erica." Maura stops Corey, as he's at the door, and tells him "Thank you for having my back." Corey goes "No problem." Corey walks out, where Erica stands, and boldly warns Corey "You just declared a war with me, and you won't win." Corey ignores Erica, as he leaves, as Erica mumbles to herself "Damn coward."
    In Pat's Classroom, Pat's silent, as Judy tells Pat "Well I've got everything done, and we're set for the kids to return." Pat looks at Judy, and Judy asks Pat "You're not yourself. Thomas being in the hospital's bothering you isn't it?" Pat looks at Judy, as she goes "It's so sad what's going on, and this school is missing his presence. I'm scared Judy." Judy reminds Pat "It's in God's hands Pat, and remember that it's not good for you to worry." Pat tells Judy "Well I can't help it. I love that young man, and him being in charge has brought life back to this school, and if we lose him...." Judy stops her, and goes "Stop that Pat. Do like Anna said, and pray for a miracle." Pat looks at Judy, with tears in her eyes, as she tells her assistant "I quit believing in miracles when my Husband died, and it doesn't look good for that young man." Judy walks over and hugs Pat, as she tells her "I'm going to check on Winnie, and you try to cheer up. He'll be alright." Pat looks at a yearbook, as Judy walks out, and bumps into Alice, as Alice asks "How's Pat?" Judy responds "Not well Alice. She's not taking this well." Alice asks "Do I need to talk to her?" Judy responds "Just leave  her be for a little while." Judy and Alice heads their separate ways, as Pat goes through an old yearbook, and with sadness in her eyes, says to herself "Why does it always have to be the good people that has to suffer?"
   Back at Bankhead Medical Center, Eliza arrives in the waiting area, as Missy sits in a chair, and cries, and Eliza walks over and asks Missy "What's wrong sweetie?" Missy looks at Eliza, and tells her of her encounter with Bill, and Eliza tells Missy "He's not taking this well, and please understand that. I'm not doing so well myself. I cried all the way here." Missy tells Eliza "I just don't think I can go back down to Waters Elementary right now knowing Thomas isn't there." Eliza looks at Missy, and tells her "Do it for Thomas, and stay strong for him and for me." Missy gets up, as she tells Eliza "I really want to see Thomas." Eliza calmly responds "I know you do, but with Bill in there, and the way he's acting, just go and get your class ready for Monday, and I'll keep you informed." Missy hugs Eliza, as Missy heads down to Caswellton, as Eliza walks into the ICU, and walks into Thomas' room, and Bill asks his Ex-Wife "So did you make the call we discussed?" Eliza looks at her Son, and tells him "The Doctor was banned from here because he fought the board, and then he went to Atlanta. If I'd know this, I'd borrowed a helicopter, or a plane, and took Thomas to Atlanta." Bill tells Eliza "Today's the last day we have to make a choice." Eliza looks at Thomas, and looks at Bill, and asks "Why were you so mean to Missy earlier?" Bill goes "Eliza, I can't handle this. I just can't." Eliza puts her arms around Bill, and looks into his eyes, and tells him "I'm here Bill, and we're going to fight this backwards Hospital in every possible way, and I also made arrangements just in case.." Eliza starts to cry, as she puts her head on Bill's shoulder, and cries "Our baby doesn't make it." Bill looks at Eliza, and tells her "We have each other Eliza." Eliza looks at Bill, as they kiss, and Bill holds Eliza tightly in his arms as they hold Thomas' hand.